


Written in the Stars

by Sapphire37



Series: Stars and the Moon [1]
Category: The Royal Romance (Visual Novel)
Genre: Backstory, Canon Backstory, Expanded Universe, F/M, Falling In Love, Modern Era, Modern Royalty, Romance, Slow Burn, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:47:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 35
Words: 188,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27781000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sapphire37/pseuds/Sapphire37
Summary: Riley Brooks isn't living the life she planned. At twenty-six, she thought she'd be dazzling New York courtrooms with her wit and natural charm. Instead, she is waitressing at a dive bar in a city that no longer felt much like home. When a European prince and his friends waltz into her life, everything changes. Although the handsome Prince Liam seems enamored with her, it's his brooding best friend that draws her in.This follows The Royal Romance canon, but fills in the gaps, fixes the timeline and makes some plot points make sense. POV shifts between Riley (I never change the default names!) and Drake. I started switching every chapter, but some chapters got very long, so I may not always do that. For some reason, I love this story and pairing so much that the only way to get it out of my head is to write it.**The characters, the overarching plot and some dialogue belong to Pixelberry.
Relationships: Drake Walker & Main Character (The Royal Romance), Drake Walker/Main Character (The Royal Romance)
Series: Stars and the Moon [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2140800
Comments: 239
Kudos: 46





	1. Riley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a difficult couple of months, Riley struggles to regain her sense of self.

Riley threw her purse and change of clothes into her locker in the break room with one hand and twisted her dark hair up into a bun with the other. She grabbed an apron and deftly tied it around her waist. She walked up to the cash register screen and logged in for her shift. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Daniel trying to sneak in without Joe seeing he was coming in late. She laughed softly to herself and clocked him in right after her. Cassie swept by and planted herself next to Riley. The tiny blonde somehow made their atrocious waitress uniform look decent.

“Ugh, thank God you’re here!”

“Why? Joe trying to hit on you again?”

“No, he’s too busy yelling at Miguel because the happy hour crew ONLY ordered appetizers.”

Riley snorted. “I didn’t realize Miguel was responsible for placing the orders as well as cooking them.”

“Yeah. So anyway. I’m outta here and you and Daniel get to deal with Joe.” Cassie flashed a grin and disappeared into the breakroom. Two women walked in the door and took a seat on the far side next to the door. Riley recognized them and waved to the taller woman.

“The usual Andrea?” Riley called across the room.

“Yep. Thanks Riley!”

Riley spun around to place the order only to see Joe glaring at her. She groaned inwardly.

“Maybe it wasn’t clear in your training, but usually we take orders at the table rather than yelling them across the room, disturbing the other guests.”

Riley glanced around the room at the otherwise empty bar. It was after happy hour, but before the dinner rush. Riley turned to Joe and saluted him. “Sure thing boss.” Then she strode past him to the kitchen to give Miguel the order she already knew by heart. She didn’t stay to watch Joe turn purple with rage and shoot another sneer in her direction.

Cassie breezed through the kitchen on her way out suddenly looking fabulous in a rose gold strapless body con dress. “Hey Riley, if you’re heading out after your shift, my friends will be at Kismet.”

“Yeah maybe.”

“Hey, I know it’s been a rough couple of months for you. It would be good to get out and let loose a bit. I miss old Riley.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“If you decide to come, the bouncer’s name is Nick and you can tell him that you and anyone you want to bring are with me and Danielle.”

Riley plastered her waitress smile on her face.

“Sounds fun and you’re right, I need to get out. I’ll definitely think about it.”

“Yay!” Cassie squealed. And with that, she disappeared into the New York night.

A few uneventful hours later, Daniel and Riley were practicing setting a row of shots on fire. There were a few customers in the room, mostly regulars who didn’t take much notice of the wait staff.

“So . . . did I tell you about my hot date?” Daniel asked when they had both successfully set a row of shots aflame.

“You said you had a date. You didn’t mention he was hot.”

Daniel pulled out his phone to show her the profile pic of a very hot guy indeed.

Riley quirked up an eyebrow at Daniel. “And what do you think are the chances that he actually looks like this?”

“50/50?”

“More like 15/85. Against.”

Daniel groaned. “But I have to try Riley. Even if he isn’t THAT hot, maybe he has a great personality or something. Besides, if I disqualified everyone who lies on their dating profiles, I wouldn’t have very many options left.”

“Maybe, but lying is still a no-go for me. Right up there with men that are already taken.”

‘So, no liars or cheaters, huh? Sorry Riley, guess you’ll have to leave New York.”

Suddenly Joe barked at them to take out the trash breaking them out of their conversation. A quick glance, they faced each other. 

“Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!”

Riley’s fingers splayed into paper and Daniel caught it just in time to shift into scissors. 

“You’re a cheater!”

“Never said I would play fair. Tell you what, I’ll make the rounds with the rest of the customers while you get the trash and maybe we can both get out of here early.”

“Deal!” This time Riley broke into a real grin.

Riley grabbed the trash from the kitchen. 

“There’s another bag your friend Cassie left by the door,” Miguel called after her.

Riley rolled her eyes at Cassie’s half-ass attempt at doing her job. Didn’t matter much since Cassie was always rolling in tips and half the regulars only showed up hoping she was working. Even though Cassie would never be a close friend, she was too shallow for Riley to ever feel totally comfortable around, but she was good for a good time. And she was right - it had been a rough couple of months. Maybe meeting up at Kismet wouldn’t be too bad. 

Just then, Daniel peeked around the corner laughing at her disgust with the trash and trying to smosh it all into the alley dumpster.

“It could be worse. There could be - Rats! Riley, help!”

Riley snapped her head around to see 3 small mice on the step between her and Daniel.

“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of this adorable little mouse family. They’re trying to get by, just like us.”

Suddenly Joe appeared in the doorway, already flushed red.

“Hey! Riley, Daniel, quit slacking off over there!”

“You told us to take out the garbage,” Riley reminded him.

“And now I’m telling you to wait on the bachelor party that just rolled in. Chop chop!” And with that Joe disappeared back into the kitchen. Daniel turned to Riley with wide eyes.

“Oh yeah, that’s why I came out here. I was going to tell you that three very attractive guys just walked in. You’re going to want to see this.”

Riley grinned. “Well, they’re probably liars and cheaters, so. . .”

“Nah,” Daniel grinned back. “Pretty sure they’re tourists.”

“Tourists? We don’t usually get many of those in here.”

Riley stepped out of the kitchen to seat the new customers and evaluate Daniel’s opinion. A bachelor party could be a great opportunity for a tip. She sized them up from a distance. They were . . . not what she was expecting.

“Waitress, there you are. We need your best table.” Hm, expensive suit, expensive shoes and not bad looking. Seemed a little out of place in this kind of bar, but looked like he could at least afford to leave a decent tip.

“Forget the table. Just bring us whiskey, and lots of it.” Well, hello gorgeous! The tall one with dark hair looked like he stepped out of her fantasies. . . except for the outfit, which was decidedly more casual than his friends’. Well, no one’s perfect. Maybe she could convince him that no one has worn denim on denim since Britney and Justin.

“Riley, please take this one. I’ve got that date tonight, and I’ll never make it out of here in time . . . Plus, that one is definitely your type.”

Riley shook herself out of staring at tall, dark, and whiskey and turned back to Daniel.

“You really want me to take the bachelor party? Bring on the hot guys!”

Daniel grinned at Riley as her eyes seemed to unconsciously stray back toward the men still waiting for their table. “I want to hear all about this tomorrow.”

Riley was openly staring now and Mr. Denim Shirt seemed to have noticed and smirked back at her causing heat to rise on the back of her neck. Riley tore her eyes away and grinned at Daniel. “Yeah, yeah, just go live happily ever after for the both of us.”

“You’re the best!”

“Are you two still talking? I’ve seated them already. Now get over there before I dock your pay!”

Riley was snapped out of her dream state by Joe’s order. She whirled around to see that he had indeed seated them in a booth. With that she plastered on the waitress smile and walked up to the table.

“Hello, gentlemen. I’ll be taking care of you this evening.”

“Waitress, steaks for the table!” She took note of the third member of the party. Good-looking with bright blue eyes and designer clothes. He seemed the most ready for a night out in New York and was practically vibrating energy. He reminded her of Cassie. She wondered which of them was the bachelor.

“How about some filet mignon medium rare and prepared with a bearnaise sauce?” Riley tried to suppress a laugh at Suit Guy’s order. She schooled her face back into the waitress smile.

“The closest thing we have to filet mignon is the deluxe burger.”

“Dare I ask for your wine list?”

“We’ve got an excellent vintage house red. . . “ 

“House red??” Yep. Definitely out of place in this kind of bar. Then an idea to really make him squirm . . .

“It also comes in white,” she offered helpfully, trying to suppress the grin as Suit Guy turned visibly paler.

“We’ll be fine with a bottle of whiskey . . . and four deluxe burgers,” offered the hot guy who apparently loved whiskey. He shot an eyeroll toward his friend and ended with a grin at Riley that made her knees go slightly weak. She stood with eyes locked on his and she felt herself blushing again when a thought snapped her out of it.

“Four?”

He nodded toward the door. Riley turned to see another impossibly handsome man walking confidently toward the table. He almost seemed to glow. Was that even possible? Where did these guys come from? The land of models and Greek gods? Riley felt her jaw drop and tried to recover before he spoke to her.

“Sorry I’m late. Thank you for your patience, Miss . . .?”

Miss? Miss. . . what now? Oh! Name!

“Uh, Riley.”

“Charmed to make your acquaintance, Riley.”

Ok, Mr. Smooth Guy. Whatever. Riley hated it when guys tried to be overly charming - it just wasted everyone’s time.

“The pleasure’s all mine,” she said with the waitress smile back on her face. Then to the three that were already seated, “It’s nice to meet you. Now let me get your order in. Be right back!”


	2. Drake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drake's irritation with the waitress and Liam's attention grows.

Drake watched the waitress head to the back and sighed a bit inside. Liam. Of course. Liam walks in the door and suddenly he’s invisible again. Oh well, it’s not like anything was going to happen with the pretty waitress anyway. She just seemed . . . nice? Funny? Real? She was . . . Ugh. Whatever. He turned his attention back to the conversation. Maxwell was retelling the story of nearly falling off the top of the Empire State Building. Drake couldn’t take it anymore.

“We know. We were there. It was three hours ago.”

“But I have to perfect my retelling of it now if I’m going to impress the ladies tonight with my daring adventure,” Maxwell whined.

“It wasn’t a . . . you know what. Nevermind.” Drake cut himself off from arguing with Maxwell. It wasn’t like he would stop. Besides the waitress, er, Riley, was coming back with their drinks.

Riley set down the open bottle and the four glasses. She poured out the drinks, with a sideways glance at Drake, made his a double. Huh. Drake raised his eyes to hers and was rewarded with a grin that lit up her eyes. She had beautiful blue eyes. Then he noticed them stray to Liam and linger there as she set the rest of the bottle on the table.

“Burgers should be out in a minute. Can I get you anything else?”

Drake shook his head as Tariq eyed the whiskey suspiciously. 

Liam locked eyes with the waitress again, “I think we have what we need, but thank you.” She nodded and returned to the kitchen.

Maxwell lifted his glass, “I would like to propose a toast. To Liam for having to get married this year and giving us an excuse to party in New York. And most of all, to me, for coming up with the idea to party in New York and planning the best bachelor party in the history of Cordonia AND New York combined.”

“Thank you Maxwell,” Liam said, raising his glass.

Drake rolled his eyes, but raised his glass as well. 

“Aaaand the party’s not over. Since Bastien’s not tagging along, we can still get to at least three different clubs tonight, but I’m having trouble narrowing them down.” Maxwell turned back to his phone to consult his list of clubs. Drake wasn’t interested in going to a club. They had been to one yesterday, and two the day before. At least there was a bar at each of them, but they were already in a bar. And he already had a bottle of whiskey. And a pretty waitress . . . who was on her way back to the table with a tray full of food. When they came in, he could have sworn she was looking at him, but now. . . now, she seemed to be smiling at Liam. Again. 

Drake wasn’t sure why it bothered him. It had been that way since they were kids. He starts talking to a girl, things start going well, until it inevitably comes up that he is best friends with the prince. Some of them already knew that, which is why they talked to Drake in the first place. So, why, after all the noble girls around court throwing themselves at Liam, does it bother him when the girl is a random waitress in a random New York bar that they will never see again? It doesn’t, he decided and picked up his burger not bothering to look up and acknowledge the woman standing next to the table.

“Um, Miss? You seem to have neglected to bring us the appropriate silverware,” Tariq spoke up. “In fact, I’m not even sure what kind of fork I should be using for this . . . deluxe . . . burger.”

“You don’t need forks!” Maxwell exclaimed right in Drake’s ear. Drake shot him a look. “Oh, sorry. It’s just, not everyday I get to eat something without Bertrand correcting my table manners. And with that, I would like to propose another toast. . .”

Drake groaned, still chewing his burger. “Maxwell, you just . . . .”

“To a night without cutlery and my brother!” Maxwell continued not pausing for Drake’s protest.

Liam chuckled and touched his glass to Maxwell’s. “The Duke has been especially hard on you lately?”

Drake tuned out and focused on his food. If there was any topic he was less interested in than the Duke of Ramsford and the glory of House Beaumont, he wasn’t sure what it was. Drake’s attention was pulled back into the conversation when Liam’s phone dinged and his friend sighed after reading the message.

“What was that?” Drake asked.

“Just Leo. He wished me luck this week and reminded me that I can always stay in the States with him.”

“He’s here?” Maxwell asked. “I thought he was cruising around the world or something.”

“He was. I guess he and Katie have returned to her grandmother’s estate here though.”

Drake had to hand it to Leo, if he was being forced to become king and marry Madeline, he might just run off on a cruise ship and marry the first girl he met too. Fortunately, nobody would ever try to force Drake into the nobility.

The conversation continued, with no less than six more toasts from Maxwell. The waitress brought another bottle of whiskey to the table at some point, which was now empty and it was time to move on to another Maxwell party place. He got up to leave and Drake noticed the absurdly large tip that Liam left for the pretty waitress . . . what was her name again? Everyone gathered outside next to the limo, but Liam was still inside.


	3. A Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riley takes the guys out for a night at her favorite beach spot, when she learns some surprising information about who they are and where they came from.

Riley was cleaning up the rest of the table and wiping down the bar when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to find herself face to face with the gorgeous blonde man from the bachelor party, Liam.

“I think we’re about ready to head out. I just wanted to thank you . . . and apologize. I know we kept you late, and my friends can be . . . demanding.”

Riley actually didn’t think they had been too bad. She never did find out which one was the bachelor. Alright, Cassie was right, it was time to snap out of the funk she had been in the past few months, and this guy was ridiculously attractive and definitely flirting with her now. Why not? Riley summoned her old self, her fun self.

“This is your chance to make it up to me.”

“Exactly what I had in mind. If you don’t have any other plans tonight, maybe I can buy you a drink. We’re about to go to a club.”

“Oh? Which one?”

“We were hoping you might have some advice about that. We’re not from around here.”

Well, that much was obvious. She couldn’t place the accent though and wondered where exactly they were from. Somewhere in Europe most likely. Riley thought about Cassie’s invitation to Kismet. She knew she could get them all in. It would probably impress even Mr. Smooth Guy here as it was pretty exclusive. Yet, the thought of all the people and the noise, and the drunk guys and desperate girls. Nope, not into a club tonight.

“I recommend going to the hottest club in town, Kismet. Tell Nick at the door that you’re with Cassie and Danielle and he should let you in.” There. Riley thought she might text Cassie and let her know she was sending a group of hot men her way.

“Cassie and Danielle?”

“Cassie works here. She’s kind of my version of . . . Maxwell?” She put a question mark on the name. She had learned their names over the course of the evening, but wasn’t totally sure.

“Ah. Life of the party? Drags everyone else to the party as well?”

“Yeah, that. And Danielle is her roommate.”

“So, if I’m the one name dropping, you aren’t planning on coming with us? I was hoping you would join us Riley.” His blue eyes bore into hers. Something about the way he said her name made her stomach flutter. He seemed . . . genuine. That was surprising, especially from such a smooth talker.

“I’m not really up for clubbing tonight, but . . . I was thinking about going to a gorgeous secret cove by the beach. You guys could come. Forget the club.”

“You know . . . that actually sounds perfect. To be honest, I’m getting a little tired of the usual bachelor party antics.” His eyes were so intense, it was impossible to look away. Riley just nodded. “Lead the way!”

Suddenly, some of Riley’s old spontaneous nature seemed to surge in her. She hesitated for just a moment when Liam finally broke their stare and the thought occurred to her that taking off with four men she didn’t know to a secluded location probably wasn’t the smartest idea. It was quickly overtaken by the thrill of recapturing feeling like she was waking up from a long sleep and was once again ready to take on the world.

“Sure! Let me finish up here, and I’ll meet you out front. . . “

Riley hurried to finish cleaning up the front and went to the breakroom. She pulled out her spare clothes, happy she packed one of her favorite outfits and remembered a jacket. She checked the mirror. Black jeans, cute maroon top and her favorite leather jacket. She reached into her purse to pull out a brush and fixed her hair, braided her bangs to frame her face. Perfect!

She smiled knowing she looked MUCH better now than she had in that horrible uniform. Maybe even good enough to get the Hot Denim Shirt Guy to pay attention again.

Riley quickly shot off a group text to Cassie and Daniel.

_Riley: Taking the guys from the bachelor party to my beach spot. You know where to look if I turn up murdered or something._

_Daniel: OMG!! Get it girl. Also, you were right. Date Guy didn’t look like his profile pic._

_Cassie: Wait what?? Bachelor party? Why do I miss all the good shifts? Are they hot? Tell me they’re hot._

_Daniel: Yeah, they were Cassie-approved level hotness._

_Cassie: Then why aren’t you bringing them to Kismet?_   
_Seriously Riley. I will never forgive you._   
_Riley?!?!?!?!?! Please!!!!!_

_Riley: See you tomorrow!_

Riley threw the uniform back into her locker knowing she had a morning shift tomorrow and would just bring it home for laundry then. She yelled out a goodnight to Miguel and headed out the front door of the bar, locking it behind her. As she was locking up, she heard the tail end of the guys’ conversation.

“We aren’t getting any more times like this Liam. That was the whole point of this trip.” Drake, Hot Denim Guy, seemed pretty upset. Maybe he was the bachelor and was mad that Liam had invited her. Maybe she was ruining his last night with the guys. Maybe that was why he started ignoring her once Liam came in. When they came in he was all grins and smoldering eye contact and then when Liam came in, he wouldn’t even look at her or speak to her. Liam seemed pretty honest, maybe he would call him out for flirting with a woman other than his fiancée.

“It’s our last night here either way,” Liam answered simply.

“Fine. Just don’t lead her on.” Lead her on? What did that mean?

Drake turned from Liam and took a long look at Riley. His eyes went wide. “Wow.”

Riley smirked, satisfied with the effect she clearly had on him.

“Wow?”

“I . . . almost didn’t recognize you.” She held Drake’s eye as she walked up to the waiting limo and out of the corner of her eye noticed him check out her ass as she walked past him and bent down to get in the limo. She felt satisfied that she seemed to have captured his attention again. As magnetic as Liam’s gaze had been and as nice as he seemed, she couldn’t deny that Drake was more her type.

“That uniform wasn’t doing you justice,” Tariq complimented. Riley smiled and nodded.

“Yeah, the waitress is hot!” Maxwell declared.

They all settled into their spots in the back of the limo and Liam slid into the seat next to Riley.

“Ahem. Her name is Riley, and I doubt she appreciates you talking about her like that.” Oh Liam, if only you knew how jackasses usually talk to waitresses in New York bars.

“Right. Sorry, Riley,” Maxwell said. He looked around and down almost as if he expected someone to jump out and scold him. “I meant to say, you look lovely.” Ok, that was weirdly formal. “Now let’s get this party going!” Aaaaaaand we’re back.

“So she’s our tour guide now?” Drake glared at Liam. What is it with this guy?

“Riley was kind enough to agree to show us around. She’s doing us a favor, so play nice.” Drake scowled and Riley sat wondering why he didn’t seem to want her around. Well, can’t spend all night trying to figure out what had gotten under the skin of one broody guy. She leaned toward the driver to give instructions on how to get to her secret beach.

When they arrived, Drake started setting up a bonfire, and finally seemed to cheer up a bit, while Maxwell and Tariq headed toward the water. Seriously? They were all going to let Drake do all the work himself? Riley was about to help, but Liam had other ideas and led her to a spot a bit away from the others.

“Thank you for bringing us here. I can tell the guys are enjoying themselves already.”

Riley heard Tariq say something about his leather shoes and wondered why he didn’t just take them off. Maybe where they were from they didn’t have beaches. With that thought, Riley slipped off her heels and let her feet sink into the sand.

“I bet you’re used to putting everyone else first,” she said looking back into Liam’s gorgeous blue eyes.

“And why would you say that?” He suddenly looked guarded, uncertain.

“I can tell. I’m good at reading people. Now, forget about your friends. What about you? Do you like it here?”

“I love it.” He seemed to relax slightly, but still hadn’t really looked around to enjoy the view.

“It’s my secret spot, so I’m really trusting you.”

“I’ll do my best to be worthy of that trust.” Did he always talk like this? Who was he? “Though there’s just one problem. . . . How am I supposed to buy you that drink?”

“You’ll think of something. Or maybe you’ll just keep owing me.”

“Fair enough. So what should we do.”

“We should jump in the ocean!”

“Won’t we get soaked?” The look on Liam’s face was priceless. Has he really never played in the ocean and gotten wet?

“You’re not afraid of a little water, are you?” Riley felt the surge of spontaneity that she had felt back at the bar when she agreed to go out. It was liberating. She felt more like herself than she had that whole year. She dropped her shoes, threw off her jacket and ran toward the water.

Liam stared after her, still in shock. Then, “Wait up!”

Riley was already wet when Liam splashed in after her. “Cold!” He exclaimed as the wave splashed up higher than he had expected.

“But worth it, right?”

“I’ve never felt more alive.”

Riley made her way back toward Liam and they stood where the water gently lapped against the sand. It was an oddly comfortable silence as they both let go of things that weighed on their minds. After a few minutes, the cold from her wet jeans set in and Riley shivered. They looked back to where Drake had gotten the bonfire started. She wondered how he had started the fire as she and Liam walked toward the flames lighting up the cove. The others were still down in the water while Riley and Liam found seats next to the crackling flames.

“Tonight’s been quite the adventure,” Liam started. “I never thought my night out on the town would end up like this. You’re really something else, aren’t you?”

Riley didn’t feel like anything special. She was a waitress in New York, just like thousands of others. A degree in political science and drama that was supposed to be followed by law school that didn’t pan out. So she hid her disappointment in her life with parties and fun. She always said yes to going out with Cassie. She had dated a string of guys and then met Josh. They had been together eight months before a really ugly breakup three months ago, taking most of their friends with him. Then Aunt Sheila’s death a month later. Still hadn’t heard from dad about that one.

Shaking all of that from her clouded thoughts, she said, “I’m going to take that as a compliment.”

Liam grinned at her, “ Believe me, it is. Spending time with you tonight has been the most fun I’ve had this entire vacation.”

“I guess that means you haven’t really been enjoying yourself very much.”

“It’s been wonderful, but there’s something missing. I really wanted to do one thing in particular while I was here.”

“And what’s that?”

“It’s . . . well . . . you’re probably going to think it’s silly, but I’ve always wanted to see the Statue of Liberty. It wasn’t really in the guys’ plan, so we just never got around to it. And now it’s my last day here. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. It was thoughtful of my friends to throw me this bachelor party.” It was like a record scratch in a comedy movie trailer. Riley blinked and had to shake herself to realize Liam was still talking.

“Wait a second, it’s YOUR bachelor party?” So, cheater then. Damn, looks like she and Daniel were both right tonight. “You’re pretty flirty for an engaged guy. I don’t think your fiancée would be too happy about that.” Riley shifted away from Liam and threw her emotional walls back up. What on earth was she doing out here? What had made her think even for a second that this was a good idea.

Apparently Liam sensed the shift in her demeanor. His eyes searched hers and seemed to ask her to understand, “That’s the funny thing. I actually don’t know who I’m going to marry yet. . . only that I’ll have to pick my fiancée by the end of the year.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“The truth is, Riley . . . I’m the Crown Prince of Cordonia.”

There was silence as Riley turned that statement over in her mind. Cordonia? Where is that? It sounded familiar, but she couldn’t . . .

“Hold on,” now she was really annoyed. “Isn’t Cordonia the country in Europe that The Crown and the Flame is based off of?”

Liam looked down sheepishly and then into the fire. “Yes,” he stated. “I’m actually directly descended from Kenna Rys.” Riley looked hard at him. Seriously? Of all the things he could have made up?

“Ah. I see you don’t believe me. Google away.” Riley looked to where her purse had been discarded about 50 feet away. She looked again at Liam. Then she stood up and walked to her belongings, she put her jacket back on and thought that maybe she should just leave right there. Well, he did say to google it. Why would he offer if it wasn’t true. She could find out in two seconds flat. Riley reached into her purse and retrieved her phone. She googled “Cordonia crown prince” as she made her way back to the bonfire. The search results proved . . . interesting. There were articles featuring another blonde man, apparently named Leo, who had abdicated his role of crown prince last fall. Stepping into the role of prince and future king would be his brother . . . Prince Liam Rys of Cordonia. Riley scrolled through the images and there were pictures of Liam, Leo, and some of them together. He really was a prince. Holy. Shit.

She stormed back over to the fire and sat down. They sat in silence for another minute. Finally Riley broke the silence, “You’re a prince. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Liam’s face fell, “Perhaps I should’ve been more upfront with you. . . but I’m not normally allowed to go around without the Royal Guard, and I was only allowed out on the condition that I kept my identity a secret. Just for one day, I wanted to be free. But I’m very aware that I have a duty to the monarchy. I’ve never known anything else. But what about you? You could be anything, do anything. What drives you Riley?”

The pivot was sudden. She could tell he was uncomfortable talking about his life as prince. So, she didn’t push it, she just pondered the question. What drives her? It used to be the idea of a career. When she realized half way through high school that her childhood dream of performing on Broadway was less than realistic, she turned other things. In college, she had planned to go to law school. Being a lawyer seemed to combine her love of the theatrical with winning arguments and her competitive drive. When that didn’t work out, she was driven by fun. Trying to enjoy her 20s while her Columbia degree sat forgotten.

Riley thought about the people she had tried to please along the way. Her mom, ever supportive but with such high expectations. Those expectations had pushed her to excel. When her mom had died, Riley had tried to keep up with those expectations, to make her mom proud, but somehow that had gotten lost along the way. With all the other people she had lost. Her father. Boyfriends. Aunt Sheila. College friends. Suddenly Riley was overwhelmed with the lack of connection and direction in her life. She didn’t want to burden Liam, er, Crown Prince Liam of Cordonia, with all that so she just came up with something cliché.

“What I really want is to live every day to the fullest.” Cliché, but true enough. She did want that. Maybe ever more so after today. “Sure, I’m only waiting tables now, but . . . I like to make every day an adventure. You only get one chance at life. I want to make mine mean something.” Oh god, she was rambling now.

“That’s beautiful Riley.”

They sat in silence again and watched Liam’s friends play in the water.

“Looks like your friends are having fun. . . “

“Good. I’m happy for them. They deserve to have fun. Tomorrow it’s back to Cordonia for the start of the social season.”

An idea started turning in Riley’s head. This poor guy who seems to sacrifice everything he wants for others’ happiness deserved a chance to do the one thing he wanted to do in New York. Danielle's cousin owns one of the Statue of Liberty tour companies, she always used the boats for her birthday parties. And Jessie works there, she could drive. Maybe . . .

“It’s not tomorrow yet,” Riley said with a smile starting to spread on her face.

“What are you suggesting?”

“You said you wanted to see the Statue of Liberty. Let’s do it! I know a place where we can catch a boat tour. Best view in town.”

“Right now? But it’s way past midnight. Won’t all the tours be closed?”

“Oh . . .right. I forgot how late it’s gotten. In that case, you’re lucky I can call in a favor.”

“A favor? And just like that, you can get us on a tour boat after midnight to see the Statue of Liberty?”

“Well, maybe a few favors, actually, but I have some friends who owe me. It won’t be easy, but I know this is important to you, so . . . let’s go!” Operation live-life-to-the-fullest was now underway.

“Right now?”

“It’s only getting later every minute we wait. Besides, it looks like the guys are busy enough. I bet they won’t even notice you’re gone.”

“You’re not going to take no for an answer, are you?”

“Nope.”

And after a couple phone calls, Riley and Liam headed out into the night to catch a boat. Drake turned back to the fire just in time to watch them leave on foot, hand in hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mostly canon, but expands the conversation between Riley and Liam. My Riley never quite trusts Liam, and for me that starts pretty early.


	4. The Longest Flight Ever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drake broods over Liam's time with Riley, but it gets even worse when Maxwell decides to bring her back to Cordonia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where the PB timeline gets super weird. Between the time change and the distance, there is no way they could leave New York and show up for a ball the same night in Cordonia. Also, while I can believe Drake would try to ignore Riley for a flight that lasts all day, I don't think she would do the same, so I fixed that too.

Drake was still awake when Liam snuck back into the hotel suite they all shared. Tariq was in one of the bedrooms, asleep and Maxwell was passed out face down on the window seat. Drake sat on one of the fancy leather couches as he emptied the mini-bar. Since they hadn’t gone to a club that night after the bar, he was nowhere near drunk enough to deal with Liam’s escapade with the waitress.

What was he thinking? She seemed like a girl who could handle herself, but Liam was not the type of noble to take advantage of a girl and walk away just like that. And why did he even bring her? One night without security detail and he had to bring _her_. It was going to be bad enough back home. And why did she even come with them? What kind of woman takes off with four foreign men she doesn’t know?

Drake was used to women throwing themselves at Liam. Even the few who weren’t crown chasers couldn’t seem to resist him. And why would they resist? He was handsome, smart, rich, charming, and actually . . . _nice_. He could easily make any woman’s dreams come true. Whereas Drake . . . couldn’t even offer a decent conversation.

But he was sure he hadn’t imagined it when the waitress, when Riley, had locked eyes with him in the bar before Liam came in. That she smiled at him. That she had noticed his drink order and poured him an extra measure of whiskey. Those things had happened. And she was gorgeous. Probably better looking than all of the nobles back at the palace waiting for their own edition of The Bachelor: Royal Romance. He thought she was pretty when she was serving them, but when she came out later in her regular clothes. . . damn. But then she left with Liam. Of course.

Not that Drake could complain. He hadn’t exactly been nice to her. It’s not like he had tried to talk to her or anything. And it wasn’t like he would have even tried anything with her . . . tonight. And it’s not like any of them were ever going to see her again. And why is the whiskey all gone?

And that’s when Liam came back.

“Alright Romeo, how did your evening with the waitress go?”

Liam laughed. “Her name is Riley, Drake.”

“I know. Doesn’t really matter, does it? Since none of us will ever see her again.”

“Sadly that is too true. But she made me think about a few things. Things about the social season.”

“What things? Where did you even go? Her place?”

“No, nothing like that. We, uh, we went to see the Statue of Liberty.”

“Hey man, I’m really sorry we didn’t make time for that on the trip. You know how Maxwell is when he gets in party planning mode.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“But Riley took you? In the middle of the night? How . . .”

“I don’t know. Something about a favor and ramen noodles. I’m not sure what that means, but yes, she got a boat, we saw the Statue of Liberty, I kissed her. End of story.”

Drake absorbed all of that for a minute.

“By the way,” Liam added, “you didn’t need to be rude to her.”

“Ah hell Liam, it wasn’t about her. It’s just . . . we only had the one night that was really ours, you know.”

Liam nodded. “I’m sorry Drake. I do know. But it’s not like things are really going to change that much back home. At least not for awhile.” Drake knew Liam was dead wrong about that. Everything would change. “Well, we should both get some sleep. Hey, do you mind flying back with Maxwell tomorrow?”

“What? Why?”

“My father called to remind me of several meetings that I must attend earlier than we had planned on returning. Supposedly I’ll have to attend a few by teleconference in the air. And . . .”

“Let me guess, dear old Constatine doesn’t want me listening in?”

“Something like that.”

“You really expect me to spend 10 hours on a plane with Maxwell?”

“I think he was making a playlist . . . “

Drake groaned. He could tolerate Maxwell Beaumont in small doses only. “Fine, but if I don’t show up to your fancy masquerade party, you’ll know it’s because I threw myself off the plane.”

Liam laughed and headed toward the main bedroom, while Drake settled himself on the couch for the night.

**********  
The next day, Drake sat on the Beaumont jet waiting for Maxwell to show up. While he was grateful not to get up before 7:00 like Liam had to, at this rate they wouldn’t get back to Cordonia until the sun came up tomorrow. Maybe he could sleep through most of the flight and avoid the worst of Maxwell’s antics.

_Drake: Are you coming or what?_

_Maxwell: Had to make a detour, but we should be there soon._

We? Was Tariq coming too? He thought he had left this morning for Paris. At least, he had said something about shopping for the social season. Drake could have sworn he said something about Paris. . .

_Maxwell: You can get the party started without me though. Turn on the “Cordonia Forever” playlist._

_Drake: No._

_Maxwell: Well, the whiskey is on the lower shelf of the bar then._

Drake tossed his phone to the side and made his way toward the plane’s bar. As annoying as Maxwell was, he always kept the drinks flowing, which made him slightly more tolerable. But if he was going to be on this plane for the next ten hours, he would need it. He peeked into the cockpit and saw the Beaumont’s pilot, Michael.

“Any chance we can head home and leave Maxwell in America?”

The pilot chuckled. “Sorry Drake, I don’t think Duke Ramsford would approve of me leaving his brother in a foreign country. Besides, we’ll be in the air in less than an hour. Lord Maxwell just called in the updated passenger manifest and said he was on his way.”

Drake peered over his shoulder at the report in his hand.

Maxwell Beaumont  
Riley Brooks  
Drake Walker

What. The. Fuck.

No, no, no, no, no, no. Even Maxwell could not be that reckless and. . . nevermind. He was definitely was that reckless and stupid. But why on earth would he bring the bloody waitress back to Cordonia? And what kind of woman not only takes off in the middle of the night with four strange men, but decides to get on a plane with them to a foreign country the next day? Is she reckless and stupid too?

Now he couldn’t even drink himself into blacking out Maxwell’s antics and risk looking like a slobbering drunk in front of her. Jesus! He drained his drink and poured another one, hoping to finish it before they got there. Drake settled into his seat and steeled himself for what was sure to be the longest flight of his life.

Ten minutes later, Maxwell and Riley appeared in the cabin with big smiles.

“Drake!” Maxwell greeted buoyantly. “Look who’s coming back to Cordonia with us? She’s going to represent House Beaumont in the social season! Great idea, right? I’m like a genius. But the cool kind, right? Not the nerdy kind with science and stuff.”

Drake’s eyes slid from the overexcited Maxwell to the woman next to him. Yep, it was her. Still gorgeous in the light of day. She didn’t look quite as excited as Maxwell though. She seemed happy enough, but a bit . . . guarded, slightly unsure of her place. He knew that look well. Savannah often looked like that. She smiled at him, but he couldn’t bring himself to return it. She had no idea what she had just walked into. Maxwell was going to sponsor her? That meant that she would have to go toe to toe with people like Kiara and Olivia. Did Liam know about this?

Riley plopped down in the seat across from Drake and tilted her head to the side. He could tell she was trying to figure him out. Something about the way she was looking at him made him uncomfortable, like she could read all his secrets if she just looked long enough. He realized that their eyes had been locked for just a little too long, so with effort he broke the gaze and looked out the window. From the corner of his eyes, he saw her deflate slightly. He hadn’t even spoken to her. He thought that would probably be best if he wanted to avoid being rude.

Maxwell was fiddling with the controls on the sound console as the plane began it’s taxi down the runway and soon there was an annoying beat pulsing through the plane. Drake glared at Maxwell and put his own earbuds in.”

He tried to avoid looking at Riley and soon she seemed to give up on trying to puzzle him out and turned to talk to Maxwell instead. They chatted about the social season, the activities, how the competition to “win” Liam worked. Drake wanted nothing to do with any of it, so he settled in listening to his own music and scouring the Cordonian news and tabloids hoping nothing from their trip to New York had been leaked to the press.

Four hours later, Maxwell and Riley were dancing and singing along to Maxwell’s playlist and whatever other songs Riley requested. Drake noticed she had a nice voice. Not outstanding, but good. He took his own earbuds out and let himself listen, at least for a little while. She had terrible taste in music.

To Drake’s surprise, she did not have terrible taste in drinks. When Maxwell took a turn behind the bar, she asked him for a simple whiskey. Then she asked Maxwell to pour another glass and brought it to Drake. He looked up at her from his seat, the first time he had made eye contact since she had first got on the plane. She had a smirk on her face that broke into a wide grin when he took the glass and mumbled something he hoped sounded like, “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” she said before turning back to Maxwell and joining in the chorus of the song blasting over the sound system. Drake tried to keep the smile off his face, but he couldn’t, so he hid behind his drink and turned back toward the window even though it was black outside as they flew over the Atlantic. He heard Riley tell Maxwell it was her turn to make him a drink and from the ingredients, it sounded . . . awful. Yet, moments later Maxwell declared it the best drink he ever had and that he would make it the signature drink of the next Beaumont Bash. At least it didn’t seem to have any glitter in it like last year’s. Drake returned the earbuds to his ears and tried to get in some sleep.

Three hours later, Drake woke up and tried to shake out the strain of sleeping sitting up. He looked around. It was dark and no lights out the window. So, probably still over the Mediterrian somewhere. Maxwell was passed out and took up two seats. Riley was still awake and staring at her phone. The main cabin lights were out, but a soft light ran across the overhead compartments for safety. Drake went to the back to the tiny restroom and then returned a few minutes later. Riley looked up when he came back and tried a hesitant smile.

“Can’t sleep,” he asked.

“It’s only 9:00 in New York.”

“Heh. I guess that’s true.”

“If I had stayed, I would have just been getting off work.”

“Not too late to turn back. I mean, it’s probably too late to turn the plane around. But, not too late to change your mind is what I meant.”

“Well, I quit my job and told my manager to go to hell. I also told my roommate that her boyfriend could move in and I really don’t like him. Nothing to go back to, so, I guess I’m committed to seeing this through for the next few months.”

Drake didn’t have much to say to that, so he didn’t. She didn’t mention any family or other friends. Just a roommate and a crappy job. No wonder she got on a plane given the opportunity.

“Do you think I should?”

“Huh?” he asked, shaking from his thoughts.

“Do you think I should change my mind? Turn around when we land and go back to New York?”

“Honestly? Probably.”

“Why?”

Drake looked at her. She seemed to be genuinely asking for his opinion. Alright, if that’s what she wants. . .

“Look, I’m sure Maxwell made the whole thing sound like a fairy tale with royal balls, travel to beautiful locations, fancy parties and pretty dresses.” She nodded. “Well, the court is not a fairytale or even a nice place. Particularly for people like us.”

“Us?”

“Commoners.”

“So, you’re not lord of something or other too?” Drake laughed out loud.

“No, definitely not.”

“But you’re friends with a prince and . . . whatever Maxwell is?”

“We grew up together. But no, no titles here.”

She nodded. “That explains it I guess.”

Drake sat up a little straighter, suddenly curious. “Explains what?”

“You are different from them. You don’t talk like they do or dress like they do. I guess I was curious how you fit in.”

Drake frowned. It wasn’t that he thought he blended in with the nobles. In fact, he deliberately tried not to. But, clearly Riley got along well with Liam and Maxwell. Maybe she thought he was beneath her too. “I don’t fit in. I never have. And neither will you.” Riley’s face darkened and she frowned back at him.

“You don’t fit in, so you feel the need to be a fucking asshole to everyone? Or just to me?”

“Well, you certainly won’t win any friends at court with that mouth . . . my lady.” Her frown deepened into a scowl. “Except maybe me,” he muttered under his breath.

He looked away, but from the corner of his eye, he could see her trying to work something out in her mind. He knew he had been rude and was upset with himself for making her upset. Maybe there was a way to make her smile again. He saw that she had slipped into sleep.

Drake couldn’t get back to sleep and knowing he could sleep most of the day in his own bed in just a few hours, he didn’t try. Turning his eyes to the window, Drake tried to focus on the lights scattered across Italy, now below them and not how Riley looked peacefully sleeping across from him. He looked out the window wondering if maybe the answers were written in the stars - that always calmed him. But he couldn’t see any stars tonight. Instead, he tried to work out how he felt about dragging an American waitress into Liam’s social season. Again he wondered what kind of woman would just up and leave her home and move to a foreign country on an hour’s notice to try and marry a prince she had known less than twenty-four hours. This whole thing was stupid and someone, probably Riley and maybe Liam, was going to get hurt in the process. He let his irritation at Maxwell for bringing her grow and swirl around in his head. It got mixed with his frustration with Liam allowing Riley to derail the one night of freedom they had been granted on the trip. By the time he started seeing the sunlight stream across the tops of the clouds he had decided that he was thoroughly angry with all of them and he absolutely hated the pretty waitress. In fact, he wouldn’t even use her name anymore. He would just call her . . . what was her last name again? Brooks, he thought, picturing the passenger manifest he had looked at earlier.

Soon, Maxwell and Riley woke up as the sun rose over Cordonia, which was coming into view.

“Say goodbye to New York and hello to Cordonia!”

“I can’t believe this is actually happening. . .”

“Believe it. We’ll be landing soon, ready or not. And if you’re not ready, those ladies at court are going to eat you alive,” Drake added to the conversation.

“Yeesh, don’t scare her, Drake. You okay, Riley?”

Brooks settled her gaze levelly at Drake as she answered, “Honestly, they should be afraid of me.”

Despite himself and his resolve to hate Riley, he grinned at her response. “ . . . Heh. Cocky. You might actually survive.”

The smile on her face slipped for a second, “I don’t get why you’re being so grim about this.”

She reminded him of Savannah again, which just fed into his irritation. Then he thought of the last commoner girl Liam had been taken with. It had lasted a whole three weeks before Constantine found out and had her family moved to another post in the far west end of Krona. Before that, there was Chelsea who had started out dating Drake. As soon as he brought her to the palace, not something he did often, Drake might as well have been invisible as she shamelessly chased after Liam. Regina had put a stop to that one. He never did find out what happened to her - he didn’t really care.

“Look, no offense, but I’ve seen girls like you come and go. It never ends well. Not for you, not for Liam, not for the royal family.”

Maxwell must have picked up on Drake’s train of thought because he glared at Drake, “Riley’s not some crown-chaser.”

Brooks turned to Drake and stared into his eyes with that annoying intensity again. “To be fair, you’re more my type.”

She had seemed to say it without a trace of sarcasm or teasing. Was she serious right now? Did she actually expect him to believe that. He was _nobody's_ type more than Liam.

“Hah,” he returned with a heavy dose of snark.

She must have sensed his skepticism since she continued to explain. “I’m serious. I don’t usually go for rich boys, much less royalty,” she said as simply as she might say she preferred turkey over ham sandwiches.

Michael announced the plane’s descent and Drake wondered if maybe he didn’t have to hate Riley. He could just dislike her some. And maybe make sure that she was alright now and then, especially when she meets Olivia.

“Hey look! You can see Cordonia out the window! Riley, you won’t want to miss this!” Maxwell said cheerily

“That’s Cordonia? It’s like something out of a fairy tale! The sparkling ocean, the swaying trees. . .”

Nope, he could hate her. “If you burst into song, I’m jumping out of the plane.”

_“I want adventure in the great wide somewhere! I want it more than I can tell!”_

She raised an eyebrow at Drake and looked pointedly at the cabin door.

Maxwell laughed. “That was great!”

Brooks turned her attention back to Maxwell, “Thanks. I played Belle in high school.”

“See! I knew you were already a perfect princess!”

She turned back to Drake, “I was just saying it’s beautiful here.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Maxwell jumped in. “Are you ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be!”


	5. Cordonia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After arriving in Cordonia, Riley wonders if she made the right decision. She also learns that she's more on her own than she thought she would be.

Riley could barely breathe as the limo pulled up in front of the palace. It really did look like something out of a fairy tale, despite Drake’s dire warnings and suggestions she should just turn around and go home.

It bothered her that she couldn’t get a good read on him. Her background in both theatre and political science made her almost an expert in human behavior and identifying people’s motives. It was very clear that Drake didn’t want her there . . . but why? He hadn’t spoken to her since she had burst out in song on the plane. She’d hoped it would make him smile again, but it seemed to have the opposite affect and he had just been brooding the whole ride from the airport.

“Welcome to your home for the next few months, Riley,” she heard Maxwell state in his usual everything-ends-in-an-exclamation voice.

“This is where I’m staying? I didn’t realize I’d be living in the palace!”

“Most of the nobility live here while the social season is underway, including all the ladies vying for Liam’s hand.”

“Yeah,” Drake interjected, “living under one roof just makes it easier to attend the rose ceremony later . . .”

Maxwell rolled his eyes, but Riley laughed. It did seem like the pretext for a reality show. And a competition to marry a prince sounded . . . completely ridiculous.

“Drake’s kidding . . . at least about the roses. Anyway, I’ll show you to your room Riley . . .”

“This is my cue to take off. See you around . . . if you’re lucky.” And with that final statement, Drake threw his bag over his shoulder and strode a door on the side of the palace, leaving Riley gaping at his retreating figure. Still in a daze, she chased after Maxwell through the front entrance and up a stunning marble staircase.

“So what’s the deal with Drake? Why is he so hot?” Riley realized what words just came out of her mouth and mentally shook herself. “I mean, jaded. Why is he so jaded?”

“Well, to your first question. . . genetics, I guess. To the other, don’t mind him. Drake’s never really . . . fit in.”

“Not used to courtly life?”

“Definitely not. He’s a commoner. He’s always been an outsider here. Even if he is Liam’s best friend. . .”

Riley wanted to ask how a prince and a commoner ended up as best friends or how two men as different as Drake and Liam stayed best friends, but she didn’t want Maxwell to get the wrong idea. So, she kept her questions to herself and filed them away for future reference. After a couple of twisting hallways that Riley was sure she would never find again, they came to a stop in front of a door that looked exactly like the seven hundred other doors they had passed.

“You’re room’s here in the west wing,” Maxwell explained. Huh, that part would be easy to remember. Riley stopped herself from making another Beauty and the Beast reference. “In case you need anything from me or my brother, our rooms are just a couple doors away.”

“I didn’t know you had a brother.”

“Yeah, an older brother. His official title is Duke Bertrand Beaumont. As the eldest son, he’s the heir and I’m the spare. You’ll see him tonight. He’ll be excited to meet you. This is it . . . here’s your room!”

Wow! The room was amazing. Riley’s entire New York apartment could probably fit in the bathroom. In fact, everything seemed bigger from the bed to the pictures on the wall. Riley was kind of afraid to touch anything.

“As a royal guest, you’re spared no luxury . . .” Maxwell started.

“So nothing’s stopping me from jumping on the bed?”

“Only your dignity.”

Right. Sophisticated court ladies probably don’t jump on beds just because they’re gigantic and covered in fluffy pillows. Yet, Maxwell didn’t seem like the type to care much about things like dignity.

“Perfect,” Riley laughed and jumped on the bed, allowing herself to fall into it and sink into the sea of pillows.

“I’ll let you settle in before your big debut tonight.”

Riley sat up suddenly, “My what?”

“I’m sorry, I keep forgetting that you’re not used to all this. The first event of the social season is tonight. . . . The Masquerade. It’s the ball where all the suitors will be presented to the Prince, as well as to the King. Not everyone dresses in costume, but you can be sure that the ladies competing for Liam’s attention will be pulling out all the stops. . . . I’m guessing it’s too much to ask if you’ve got a costume or fancy ballgown in there. . .” His eyes fell to Riley’s suitcase next to the giant wardrobe.

“I packed a dress.” 

Suddenly Riley felt sick to her stomach. It was one thing when her spontaneous bad decisions led to a hangover or a one night stand she’d rather forget, but here she was, thousands of miles from anything familiar and very much out of her league. Did she really think she could impress Liam with a dress from a sorority dance three years ago? These women were all probably rich, and fashionable, and had one-of-a-kind designer dresses, and . . . suddenly she understood what Drake had been trying to tell her on the plane. He was right, she was not going to fit in here. However nice Liam and Maxwell had been to her, this was not her world.

“Well, I wasn’t sure, so I’ve made an appointment for you at the palace boutique. Maybe you’ll find something you like better there!”

A palace boutique sounded expensive. “I’ll check it out. . . “

“Remember. Tonight is very important. It’s your chance to make a first impression on all the influential people at court and to stand apart from everyone else!”

“Don’t worry. I’ve got this.” Riley said out loud. Inside she was screaming that this had all been a stupid, stupid mistake. Maxwell grinned, seemingly convinced and left her alone. Alone in a giant palace she didn’t know her way around with the weight of making the best first impression of her life and nothing but a small suitcase and a credit card. 

Riley collapsed onto the bed. She pulled out her phone. Almost noon. Too early to call or text anyone back home. And who would she call? Cassie? Daniel? They were great for hanging out with at work, trying bar tricks and checking out cute guys, but it’s not like they could offer advice on royal balls. She scrolled through the numbers saved on her phone, not even recognizing many of them. She paused at ‘Dad’ and quickly kept going. It was even more the middle of the night in California and what would she say to him anyway? Hey Dad, we haven’t talked in two years, but I lost my mind yesterday and flew off to Europe with some guys I just met. Anyway, do you have a couple hundred dollars, I need a ballgown? So, big nope there. 

Near the bottom of her contact list was Aunt Sheila. Suddenly the dam broke and Riley dissolved into tears. She wondered what her aunt would have said about this crazy adventure. Then she laughed and as quickly as they came, the tears stopped. Aunt Sheila was always trying to push her to make her life an adventure. She probably would have told her to get down to that fancy boutique and find an outfit to make one hell of an entrance.

Suddenly inspired, Riley quickly unpacked her belongings, cleaned her face and reapplied some simple make-up. The ball wasn’t for hours, so she would have time for a full beauty routine later. But this seemed good enough to try on some clothes. She grabbed her purse and wandered the halls until she found a servant to show her where the boutique was. When she walked in, there was a half naked woman standing on the dais in the middle of the room holding a fancy dress.

“Oh!” the other woman exclaimed when she saw you through the mirror.

“Eep! Sorry! I didn’t realize someone was already here.” The other woman was absolutely stunning with big eyes and a delicate frame. She gave Riley a genuine, warm smile, which put Riley instantly at ease.

“No problem. To be honest, I didn’t have an appointment. I’m Hana. I suppose you’re also here to prepare for the Masquerade tonight. Since you’re here and not already dressed, I must assume that you’re just like me . . . searching desperately for something to wear.”

“More or less. I’m Riley.” Hana seemed friendly, but Drake’s warnings about the noble ladies at court hovered in the back of Riley’s mind.

“The seamstress seems to be running late, but I can show you around. This boutique has the most exquisite gowns. Let me just slip my dress on.” Ok, Hana was definitely being genuine. It couldn’t hurt to make a friend. Riley helped her with her zipper.

“Thank you. Not many girls here are like you . . .”

“Helpful?”

“Nice.” Oh. “Ah, this dress is perfect!” Hana spun around in the soft pink dress that picked up the light as she twirled. She was right, it was perfect. Well, if nothing else, it looked like Hana would be a good shopping partner, she had great taste. Riley’s taste was . . . simple. She usually didn’t fuss too much with her clothes preferring dark solid colors and denim. Back in college, she always had friends to pick out her clothes for her and she really didn’t want to be on her own here.

Hana completed her look with a matching mask. “Now, what about you? One must have a mask for the Masquerade! Have you seen the angel costume? You’d look amazing in white. Or there’s also a red one, if you’re feeling more . . . devilish.”

Riley couldn’t help but be drawn in by Hana’s excitement. White wasn’t actually her best color, the red dress suited her perfectly when she tried them both on. But . . . she wasn’t sure that dressing up like a devil on the first day would be the best way to impress the King. So, she decided on the sparkling angel costume that showed off her cleavage. The price tag was a shocking two weeks paycheck, but thanks to Liam’s extra generous tip at the bar, she felt like this was something she could handle in the name of first impressions. How many ball gowns would she need anyway?

Riley stepped out of the changing area and mimicked Hana’s twirl. “How do I look?”

“Perfectly angelic,” Hana giggled.

Riley decided to go out on a limb. “Hey Hana? Do you want to get ready together? Back home, I usually get ready with my girlfriends for big events and I’m only ok at doing my own hair and make-up. Would you . . . help?”

Hana’s eyes widened. “I. . . I would love to! I’ve never done that before.”

“You’ve never gotten ready for a party with your friends?”

Hana blushed furiously. “No. I’ve never really had the opportunity. I . . . don’t really have many friends at home. My parents keep my schedule very busy.”

“Oh! Where’s home?”

“Shanghai. My mother is from here, but my father is Chinese. I’ve only visited Cordonia a few times before this social season.”

“Well, it’s my first time here . . . ever. It was kind of a spur of the moment thing.”

“Spur of the moment? That sounds exciting! Where are you from?”

“New York.”

“Oh! You’re American?”

“As apple pie!” Riley eased into the conversation as she and Hana made their way back to the west wing to get ready.

**********  
After a few hours of make-up and hair lessons with Hana, Riley felt ready to make her grand entrance. Again she wondered what she was doing here. Did Liam know she was here? Did she really want to marry him? The thought seemed absurd. And overwhelming. But life as a princess couldn’t be bad, right? She made her way to the grand staircase to meet Maxwell after dinner. It was hard to find him among the other nobles all wearing masks, but soon she saw his bright blue eyes behind a half mask as he almost bounced his way over to her.

“Nice outfit. You look great.”

“Thanks.”

As they made their way toward the ballroom, he explained how heralds would announce each person and Riley determined that it would probably be best to just go with a noble title, earned only by House Beaumont’s sponsorship. It made her slightly uncomfortable, but was better than revealing too much information too quickly by announcing her American heritage to the court. Soon, she heard the herald announce Lady Riley Brooks and Lord Maxwell Beaumont. She walked into the glittering ballroom and Maxwell quickly left to find his brother, the mysterious Duke Bertrand.

Riley had never been shy, so mingling wasn’t really a problem, but she had no idea how to start a conversation with anyone here. What could they possibly talk about? She had been able to talk easily with Liam, but that was only because of how they met and the fact she didn’t know he was royalty. She scanned the room, desperate for a friendly face. To the side of the room, she noticed Hana talking with a group of noble ladies around their age. Well, if Hana was talking to them, maybe they were friendly too. And if she joined the conversation, she wouldn't have to awkwardly start one. Unfortunately, the other ladies left as soon as they saw Riley walking toward them.

Hana greeted Riley as she approached. “Hello again! You look great!” Hana giggled.

“Thanks.”

“So, this is the Masquerade! What do you think of it?”

“It’s a little overwhelming.”

“I know what you mean. I’ve been coming to these events since I was a little girl!”

“So it never gets easier?”

“To be honest . . . It gets more complicated. At least as a child I could run around and have a little fun.”

“Who says we can’t do that now?”

Hana laughed at that, easing the serious tone the conversation had taken. “Believe me, it’d cause quite a scandal.” She looked about to say more, but something across the room caught her attention. “Please excuse me, there’s someone I need to greet. . . . but maybe we can talk later?”

Riley nodded, feeling alone again as Hana slipped past her. Riley turned to see where Maxwell went and maybe even meet his brother when her eyes landed on a quiet part of the room, where one person was standing alone. Drake. He looked totally out of place in his casual clothes and no mask. Even without a fancy costume, the sight of him made her stomach start doing somersaults. God, why did he have to look like that? Since he was the only other person she knew, Riley confidently walked in his direction.

She watched his demeanor change as she got closer. He tensed immediately, giving her a curt nod and a stiff attempt at a bow.

“Good evening, my lady.”


	6. The Mysterious Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drake watches the Masquerade from the sidelines and tries to give Riley some advice. Even though he still thinks she doesn't belong, she manages to hold her own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is pretty short and mostly canon from Drake's POV, although it does have an original Drake/Liam scene at the end. I've found that I really enjoy writing their dynamic.

Drake saw a woman in a white, angel, dress, thing walking toward him. Great. It was too late to duck out of the ballroom, so he supposed he could put up with whatever the noblewoman wanted. She probably wanted to send him on an errand, thinking he was part of the staff or something.

He gave his best impression of Liam, bowing a bit, “Good evening my lady.”

“So you do have manners,” a distinctly American accent declared. Oh shit, it’s the waitress. She looked. . . like an angel.

“ . . . Riley? Is that you?” He was so stunned for a moment, that he forgot his resolve to call her by her last name.   
“Yeah. You didn’t recognize me?”

“I . . . .I was caught off-guard. You clean up well.” Why did she come over here? Shouldn’t she be lining up to greet Liam and his dad? Or mingling with important people? Or dancing with Maxwell . . . . wait, where was Maxwell? Had he left her alone at this big fancy ball where she didn’t know anyone?

“Drake. . . was that actually a compliment?”

“Uh, no!” Idiot! You don’t like her! She doesn’t belong here! Stop giving her hope! “Looking the part doesn’t mean you’re going to be welcome here, you know.”

Her face fell and he instantly regretted his comment. “Well, you’re as charming as ever.”

“Hah. Compared to most of the nobles here, I’m your best friend.” It’s better if she’s on guard, even if she isn’t happy about it.

“Drake, I believe you.” 

He watched her look around the room a little lost. Now she got it. He decided to encourage that train of thought.

“That’s the first smart thing you’ve said.”

Her face darkened into a scowl. “Thanks.” Whoops. He meant that as encouragement, not an insult. Clearly she had taken it the wrong way and now he just felt like the asshole she had named him earlier.

“Look, I’m not trying to be a jerk. I’m just trying to help.”

Riley stared at him with the same searching eyes she’d had on the plane. She was trying to figure him out again.

“You have a very peculiar way of helping.”

“I’m just saying the things that I wish someone would’ve told me a long time ago.” 

Riley stood facing Drake, hands on her hips, looking like she was about to unleash the full New Yorker on him.

As if on cue, the red she-devil herself walked up and slipped an arm into one of Riley’s and whisked her away. Drake smirked to himself. If Riley didn’t believe him before, she would after an encounter with Olivia. He watched the conversation from his corner and was happy to see Maxwell swoop in to save a startled looking Riley. Maxwell tugged her in the direction of Liam and the King.

Drake wondered if Liam even knew she was here yet. He hadn’t seen his friend all day to ask. Drake made his way back toward the bar with his eyes still on Riley. She seemed to have pulled off a decent curtsy to King Constantine. Well, maybe she wouldn’t get thrown out of the palace tonight after all. Drake knew that even Constantine and Regina wouldn’t just throw out House Beaumont’s suitor, even if she was a commoner. They would just make her uncomfortable enough to want to leave on her own. Would Liam even worry about that? He was always so quick to see the good in people, especially his father for some reason.

Drake watched Riley make her way up to Liam. Liam seemed more intrigued than pleased, though it was hard to tell with the mask on. Heh. So, he hadn’t recognized her either. Then he saw Liam break out in a wide grin. There it is. And apparently he’s really happy she’s here. Seriously Liam? Drake tore his eyes away from the scene and made his way more purposefully to the bar. 

This girl has about a zero percent chance of making it through the social season and becoming queen. Does Liam really want to see her humiliated? If she was smart, she would head back to New York tonight. Drake didn’t see that happening though. She seemed like the stubborn type. All of his attempts to warn her up to now only seemed to fuel her desire to prove him wrong. He finished his drink and walked outside for some air.

On hearing Olivia’s voice, Drake turned on his heel to go in literally any other direction. She was berating the other new lady at court. The pretty Asian girl - Anna? Emma? That one was even less likely to last the week than Riley. She seemed way too shy and sensitive. A moment later, Lady Hana(!), yeah that was it, rushed past him without even seeing him. Drake was almost tempted to follow her, but telling off Olivia would probably be more fun than trying to comfort a crying woman. He probably wouldn’t be very comforting anyway.

Just as he was about to step into view and lay into Olivia, he heard Riley’s voice, clearly angry.

“Bitch, you’re acting like a child, not a queen. If this is how you behave, I wouldn't trust you with childproof scissors, let alone a kingdom.”

“I . . . You can’t. . .”

“I just did.”

What just happened? Did she actually shut down Olivia fucking Nevrakis? Drake smiled to himself. Well then, maybe she really could handle herself. Feeling no further need to intervene, he went back to the ballroom to catch Liam.

When he got back inside, Liam was deep in conversation with one of the noblemen Drake had seen around a bit last social season. Probably not the best time to interject unless he wanted to get roped into an uncomfortable conversation about trade deals or something else Drake didn’t know anything about. He grabbed another whiskey from the bar and made himself at home in his favorite corner - close to the door, between chandeliers so somewhat in the shadows. He pulled out his phone and started scanning again for leaks about the bachelor party. So far, so good on the “keep Liam’s image squeaky clean” front. He checked the schedule for tomorrow: the Derby and a picnic. Alright! That actually sounded like a decent day. He started checking stats on the Derby horses. He’d been hearing good things about a few of them, but the numbers never lie. He looked up and saw Liam give him the SOS look. That was his cue.

Drake crossed the room quickly and made an excuse to the nobleman that Liam was still talking to.

“Sorry, my lord, I need to speak with his highness about arrangements for the horses to travel tomorrow.”

The nobleman Liam had been talking to was a good four inches shorter than Drake and still managed to look down his nose at him. “Of course,” the pompous ass said before striding away.

“Thanks,” Liam said with a relieved sigh.

“That’s what I’m here for.”

“Why didn’t you tell me Riley was here?”

“I would have, I just didn’t see you all day.”

“Well, it made for a pleasant surprise.”

“Are you happy Maxwell dragged her here?”

“Of course! We had an amazing time in New York. She went out of her way to do something for me in a way no one else ever has. I know it’s corny, but she really could be the one Drake.”

“The one? Liam. She’s an American waitress who for some reason isn’t smart enough to think that getting on a plane with some guys she just met and flying half way around the world probably isn’t a great plan. She will get crushed by the likes of Olivia and Kiara and end up getting hurt, or hurting you, or Maxwell. I mean, I’m sure Bertrand is totally on board with someone like her representing the great Beaumont name.”

“So, you don’t like her . . .”

“What? No! . . . I don’t . . . even know her. And neither do you.”

“Alright, alright Drake. I’m not proposing tonight. It’s just, she’s . . . different from the other ladies.”

“Right. That’s what I’m saying. She doesn’t fit in here and you’re already talking about making her your queen.”

“Well, I guess we’ll see how it all plays out. But, I am happy she’s here and I do like her. Since you mentioned it, would you mind looking out for her? She has Maxwell, but, ah . . .”

“I didn’t realize I was the royal babysitter of grown women.”

“Drake . . .”

“Fine. You know I’ll do whatever you ask. Just don’t cry to me when this all crashes and burns.”

“You might want to make your exit, I see Penelope coming this way.”

“Oh god, poodle girl? Yeah, I’m heading out. See you in the morning.”

Drake disappeared into the crowd before Liam could respond. He liked dogs and all, but did NOT want to get trapped in a conversation about Lady Penelope’s poodles. He had made that mistake once when he was fourteen and thought she had pretty eyes. He made his way to the edges of the room and back to a table to drop off his empty glass when he saw Riley and Hana enter the room. Hana looked surprisingly happy. Maybe Olivia hadn’t upset her as much as he had thought. 

Drake saw Maxwell guide Riley over to Liam and Liam sweep her into a dance. He was surprised she knew how to waltz. He’d lived here since he was four and still didn’t know how to waltz. A moment later, Liam was dancing her out of the ballroom to the balcony. Smooth. THAT was a move Liam reserved only for the women he really did like. What the fuck Liam? The one? He didn’t even know this woman. Speaking of . . .

Drake made his way out of the ballroom and back to his own quarters. He was sure Bastien was already making up a dossier on her, but it wouldn’t hurt if Drake started his own research. He pulled out his phone and started with google. Turns out there are a lot of Riley Brooks’ in the world, including a few in New York City. None of them seemed to look like her though. . .

He arrived back in his room confused and intrigued, and . . .


	7. International Woman of Mystery

Riley woke up the day after the masquerade and a flood of emotions came crashing into her consciousness. Here she was in the most luxurious bed and in the most luxurious room she had ever been in. Last night had been exhilarating. Once she had settled into the party and learned a few names, the court seemed less overwhelming. In fact, the most comfortable she had felt all night was when she had gone into New York badass mode and put that red-haired bitch in her place. THAT was actually fun. She remembered Hana’s shocked face when Riley offered to beat Olivia up for her. Court ladies probably don’t go around threatening bodily harm, but that one was just asking to get punched in the face New York style.

Riley was starting to feel more like herself than she had in months. It filled her with energy and confidence. If this was the worst of what Drake had warned her against, she would do just fine. She was pretty sure she could compete with Olivia, the girl that only spoke French, and the quiet one that seemed content to let Olivia walk all over her.

Which brought her to the million dollar question. Did she want to compete?

Liam was sweet and attentive. Back home, he definitely would have earned a second date, but he was really looking for a wife. Riley was not so certain that she was ready for marriage. With Liam, it wouldn’t be just a marriage, it would be a responsibility. The most unsettling moment of the whole night had been when Liam said he was happy she liked Cordonia since a queen should like her kingdom. It had made everything seem so . . . real.

Part of why she had taken Liam to the Statue of Liberty was because he felt trapped in his life as Prince and future King. He longed for freedom he would never have. Could she really willingly sign-up for that? It was a beautiful cage, but it was still a cage.

That was why Riley had avoided kissing Liam again in the hedge maze. It was fun to help him relax, to be more himself. He needed to remember to laugh and it made her happy that she could do that for him. It helped her too. She felt more bold, more playful, more like the person she wanted to be. That was something. Yet, she couldn’t help feel that this was the role of a friend, not a queen. It was best to avoid overly romantic moments that would do nothing other than confuse them both.

Riley sighed and finally raised her head from her pillow and checked her phone. Six texts from Cassie. All asking about Liam and some VERY suggestive. Yeah, not ready to dive into any of that right now. Her eyes fell on the beautiful white dress she had worn last night. It was dirty from her fall in the maze. She would ask Maxwell about having it cleaned since she might need it again. She groaned at the thought of having to buy more clothes. She was supposed to head to the boutique after breakfast to find an outfit for the derby. She tried to picture what she had seen Kate Middleton wearing in supermarket tabloids, but nothing came to mind. 

Phone in hand, Riley started researching derby fashion pictures. Once she had a visual idea of what she would look for in the boutique, she applied for three more credit cards since apparently her sponsors were broke. That had been an unpleasant revelation. How was she supposed to finance a whole new designer wardrobe? Well, that was a question for another day. In the meantime, she had to get ready. Riley hopped in the shower, determined to wash away whatever remained of her doubts and insecurities.

After breakfast, Riley walked into the boutique and almost walked straight into . . . Olivia.

“Oh, I’m surprised to see you here. I thought you'd have gone home by now. Surely you’ve realized that you don’t have a chance at winning.” 

Too bad that winning this bizarre, archaic competition wasn’t the reason Riley came. And didn’t she just put this bitch in her place last night? Did she really want to go for round two? 

“Olivia, surely you’ve realized you can’t intimidate me.”

“Hmm. They say chickens are too stupid to know when they’re being led to slaughter. But even chickens have prettier plumage than you my dear.”

Ummm, what? Riley thought there was supposed to be an insult in there somewhere, but couldn’t tell if she was trying to call her stupid, chicken, or insult her outfit. Probably all three, but it was less witty than Olivia meant it.

“I can’t wait to see what you wear to the Derby. Anything less than runway couture, and the press is going to walk right past you. Do they even have derbies where you come from?” Olivia continued.

“Yes.”

“Well, I’m sure you haven’t gone to them. Toodles.”

Thank god she’s leaving! Riley surveyed the dresses and hats that had been set out front for ladies looking for derby attire. She remembered how Bertrand told her to wear something modern, but Olivia had opted for something more formal. Riley didn’t want to look out of place . . . 

First she tried on a bright pink formal gown that the shop girl topped with a wide brim hat and a sash with flowers. Riley thought it looked great, but wasn’t the most comfortable outfit. She decided to keep looking. Next she tried on a form fitting pencil dress with a floral skirt and a cute black and white fascinator. It reminded her of the outfits she had seen in her research earlier and felt modern and chic like Bertand wanted. Alright, it was this or her black tank top and jeans. She grimaced at the price tag, but bought it anyway, along with a pair of black heels she hoped would serve her well throughout the social season.

For better or worse, Riley grabbed the outfit and went back to her room only to find Maxwell waiting outside.

“Riley! Hey, it looked like your dance with Liam went well last night. Ooooo, did you get a dress?”

“Hi Maxwell. Things went fine and yes, I got a dress.” She opened the garment bag to show him.

“Nice, very classy. The hat is a nice touch.”

“Glad you approve. I hope you know that it cost me a week’s worth of tips.”

“About that. I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you about our finances. I just hoped we’d be able to come up with something, but then last night Bertrand told me things were a lot worse than I knew. . .”

“How many outfits am I going to need to buy Maxwell?” He looked at the ground. “I see. It’s fine, I’ll work it out somehow. I have . . . a little bit of savings and three new credit cards on the way, so I’ll make do.”

“Hey, if you become queen, you won’t have to worry about money anymore!”

“Well, I guess I need to win then, right?”

“Yeah! So, go get dressed and let me know when you’re ready. I’m supposed to teach you some basic etiquette and stuff so you don’t embarrass Bertrand.” Riley’s eyes narrowed.

“I have manners Maxwell.”

“It’s more than that Riley. The press will be there today and they’ll watch everything you do. Trust me, you do not want to end up on the front page of the tabloids because you flashed someone getting out of a car. Even using the wrong hand for something can cause a scandal.” Riley nodded as she began to understand. It wasn’t just about table manners, it was image management. It would be just like preparing for a role in a play, she just needed to learn how the character of Lady Riley sat and walked and ate and spoke. Once she started thinking of it that way, she relaxed. It was a character and she would play the role.

After an hour of lessons with Maxwell and a frustrating review session with Bertrand, Riley and the Beaumont brothers were in the limo on the way to Honeyhill Downs.

“So you’ve got to impress the press, so to speak,” Maxwell was saying, softening the harsh reminders of Bertrand. “You’ll be surrounded by them as soon as we pull up to the Downs.”

“All right . . . What kinds of questions should I be expecting?”

“It’ll depend on who’s doing the interview. They’ll start with easy questions, asking who you are, where you’re from, that sort of thing.”

“People want to understand your story . . . so think about how you want them to see you.” Riley wasn’t sure how she wanted to be seen yet. Being a foreign waitress might not play well if the goal was to impress the Cordonian people. Maybe she could keep an air of mystery about her before they dug up everything about her life. The mysterious thing seemed to work pretty well with Liam last night.

“Then the hard questions . . . I don’t know what they’ll ask, but . . .,”Bertrand was telling her.

“Be myself?”

“Heavens, no. Be a future queen who loves Cordonia and acts with grace and poise.”

This unsettled Riley far more than the idea of talking to the press. She didn’t mind slipping into a role for the press, but she also didn’t want to lose herself completely. She either was a future queen who loved Cordonia or she was not, and she was not a good enough actress to act a part day in and day out for the rest of her life.

“And for the love of king and country, if they ask you about Cordonian apples, make sure you take the question seriously!” Bertrand finished off.

“Cordonian . . . apples?” No one had mentioned anything about apples to Riley before, but Bertrand seemed deathly serious about it.

Maxwell jumped in, “ It’s the national fruit, and one of our most important exports.”

“Ah, got it.”

“Do you? How confident are you feeling about this?” Bertrand asked intently.

“I have a fucking ivy league education in political science, Bertrand. I understand about the importance of exports AND maintaining my image.”

“You . . . do?”

“Yes, with a minor in drama, so believe me when I say I can act the part of whatever Cordonia-loving Lady you want me to be.”

“I . . . but, Maxwell said . . .”

“That I was a waitress? That’s true. But, yeah, I feel great! This will be fun!”

“I hope you overconfidence and course language won’t be your downfall,” Bertrand replied with a scowl.

“Well, I believe in you,” Maxwell grinned.

“Don’t worry Bertrand. I won’t swear in front of the press.” Riley winked at Maxwell and took in the scene in front of the racetrack. It was hard to see anything through the big hats. “Wow . . . It’s so exciting. I feel like I’m at a fair . . .”

“A ‘fair’? This is no country fair where you weigh pigs and eat pie. The is the outdoor event of the social season.” 

Riley rolled her eyes at Bertrand, but Maxwell smiled and opened the door to the limo for her.

“This is your stop my lady.”

“You’re coming with me, right?”

Bertrand sighed deeply and explained as if she were a child, “No. We don’t need to be interviewed.”

“Okay. . .. but where should I go after I talk to the press?”

“The ladies vying for Liam’s hand have their own section. Just continue down the red carpet and search for the pink tents, and you’ll be fine,” Maxwell assured her.

“We’ll see you out there,” Bertrand said finally and pointedly looked at the door.

Riley took a moment to gather her thoughts the way she always had backstage before an entrance. She took a deep breath and exhaled releasing any remaining anxiety. Her eyes flicked open and she put on a bright smiled. She locked her knees and ankles together and swiveled out of her seat the way Maxwell had taught her. It was a good thing she had composed herself first because the second she stood outside the car, lights flashed and microphones appeared in front of her face, seemingly out of nowhere. Ok, showtime.

A casually dressed black man called for her attention first, “Over here! Donald Brine from the Cordonia Broadcasting Center. We’ve heard about the new lady on the social scene! What’s your name?”

“Lady Riley Brooks from House Beaumont,” Riley said smoothly with a bright smile.

“Our viewers care about getting the real story. Tell us about yourself!”

“I’m a mystery.”

“Most of the ladies here can’t wait to talk our ears off.”

“What can I say? I’m not like everyone else.”

“A fascinating spin . . . Now, I’ve heard early rumors that you’re Prince Liam’s favorite. What do you think makes you stand out?

“Prince Liam first noticed me because he couldn’t figure me out.”

“Interesting. . . . Can I get a photo of you?”

“Of course!” Riley gave the reporter her best model look, aloof and mysterious.

“Wonderful. Just wonderful. You’re very photogenic.”

Riley heard him murmuring something about the mystery woman sweeping the red carpet and Riley smiled slightly to herself. It didn’t last long because a very chic looking blonde woman called for her attention next.

“Lady Brooks, Ana de Luca here on behalf of Trend, fashion and celebrity news magazine. Now to get into it . . . Lady Brooks . . . as an outsider, what do you think of Cordonia?”

“Cordonia is a country full of charm and wonder.” It was. She loved the architecture, the gorgeous coastline and rolling green hills. Of course, that was about all she could see from her window at the palace since she’d only been here a little over 24 hours.

“The people will be happy to hear it. Lady Brooks, if you marry Prince Liam, you’ll be our next queen. What qualities make you fit to rule Cordonia?”

Riley hesitated for a beat, if she revealed too much here, there was no point in playing the mystery woman card. Time for some improv.

“I’d be a graceful and composed queen. The people can trust me to look out for them and to keep a cool head in times of crisis. I also consider myself brave, caring, and honest.”

“That’ll be a nice soundbite.” Mmmhmm. So bulshitting her way through poly sci papers at three in the morning did come in handy. “Last question. Hypothetically, how would you handle news about low crop yields from the Cordonian apple orchards?”

“I’d comfort the people first. I know how important the Cordonian apples are to the country and its people, and they deserve to know I’d take this problem seriously. Then of course, we’d talk about ways to deal with the crisis at hand.”

“I can use that,” Ms. de Luca mused, writing down a note. 

Riley thought about saying something with a little more substance, but saw Lady Kiara approaching the red carpet.

“Looks like that’s all our time,” Anna de Luca said without an unreadable glance.

Donald Brine gave Riley a smile, “Thanks, Lady Brooks.”

“Glad to have someone interesting like you in the running,” Anna de Luca said, also giving Riley a slight smile and nod. Riley guessed that Ana de Luca didn’t hand out smiles liberally.

Riley flashed one more bright smile at both of them and the bevy of photographers and other reporters behind them. “Thank you!” Then she walked the rest of the red carpet toward the entrance. When she got to the end of the carpet, there were tents everywhere, none pink. She looked around for Hana or even Olivia, but it was impossible to see faces with all the giant hats in the way. For a moment, she thought about waiting for Kiara, but didn’t really want to just stand there looking out of place. Maybe she could find someone who worked here to point her in the right direction . . .

Riley stepped into the nearest stable, nearly empty. The horses must have already been brought out to the starting line. She was going to be so late! Probably miss the race all together.

“Hello? Any humans in here? I could use some directions. . . “

Suddenly the wind made the door slam behind her, spooking the one horse left in the stable. The horse let out a loud neigh and charged right toward Riley!


	8. Two Bets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drake finds himself in trouble as he struggles to decide how he feels about a certain American. Between the derby, a royal picnic, and a late night cronut run, he can't seem to escape her and is no longer sure he wants to, especially when she brings out his competitive side.

Drake couldn’t help but smile as he made his way through the staff entrance at Honeyhill Downs. He didn’t work there, but he had come often enough with horses from the royal stable that the managers didn’t mind him coming through this way. Horses and hanging out with his best friend away from all the noble ladies made for a nice day. Drake passed by the stable on his way to Liam’s tent when he saw a flash of dark hair walking inside. Riley? What was she doing in the stable?

Drake groaned, remembering his promise to Liam to look out for her. His thoughts warred within for a moment, then he pushed the door open to follow her. The horse was running straight toward her when he opened the door. Without hesitation, Drake darted across the room and jumped between Riley and the horse as the horse, Silvermist he recognized, reared up. He reached up to calm the horse.

“Whoa there. Whoa.” Silvermist settled as Drake patted his neck and calmly stroked his mane. He pulled his head closer so they were eye to eye. “Nothin’ to worry about, big fella. I’ll get this girl outta here for you.” He led the horse back to the stall and secured the latch. He turned to see Riley still sitting on a bale of hay, shaking. Something about her suddenly made him feel protective, not for Liam’s sake, but for hers. He approached her slowly since she still seemed spooked.

“You okay, Riley?”

“Drake?! You saved me!” She looked up at him with wonder and admiration. He reached out a hand and helped her up. If she kept looking at him like that, he might forget that she was an outsider that needed to go home. He fought against the protective instincts flooding his brain right now and the way her eyes made him feel and how her hand had felt in his and . . . whatever. He pushed all those thoughts aside with some effort and leaned fully into his comfort zone, snark.

“Really? I thought I was saving the horse. These Derby runners are like athletes. Can’t risk injury tripping over a stray human.” 

That seemed to do the trick as Riley’s eyes hardened and her mouth turned down into a scowl. “Oh, charming. Did the horse knock the sense out of you?”

“Nah. In fact, I got away without a scratch.”

“What are you even doing here?”

Drake suddenly felt self-conscious. He couldn’t admit to being worried about her and he wasn’t sure Liam would appreciate revealing his secret bodyguard duties. He ran a hand through his hair and looked at the ground.

“Look . . . I . . .,” he had a feeling that Liam looking out for her would play best here. “The truth is, Liam told me to keep an eye on you and make sure you don’t end up in the wrong place. . . exactly like now.”

“He told you that?” Brooks looked shocked.

“Yeah, good thing I followed his instructions, huh? Speaking of which, you should get back to the racetrack and your adoring fans.”

“I’d love to, but I’m lost. Maxwell told me to look for the pink tents.”

Of course he did. Drake sighed deeply, looks like he was going to spend this whole social season following this girl around and making sure Maxwell didn’t screw things up too badly.

“He’s wrong. You’re looking for the white tents next to the starting line. . . . Can’t miss them. Good luck!” With that Drake started walking toward the door.

“You’re not coming with me?” Er, no? Wasn’t planning on it.

“No . . .I’m due to meet Liam,” Drake answered with a smile. “He has his own private tent. We usually just hang out there and get some drinks, watch the ceremonies, place our bets on the horses. . . . It’s pretty sweet.”

“In that case,” Brooks smiled and started walking toward him, “I’m going with you.”

Nope. Not going to happen. Not today. “What?”

“It sounds more fun where you’re going. Take me with you.” 

Hell no!

“I don’t think you’re supposed to . . .”

She gave him a smirk that was equal parts mischievous and challenging.

“What are they going to do? Put me in Princess Jail?” Riley started walking toward the door, then turned back to Drake with a look over her shoulder, eyebrow raised. That look was . . . damn sexy. Clearly he was not going to win this battle, but he really needed to win the battle in his brain and stop thinking about her like that. He shook his head and started walking with her, leading her toward Liam’s tent.

When they got there, he realized that he hadn’t gotten the drinks he told Liam he would bring with him. He opened the flap and let Brooks in. 

“Here. You go ahead. I’m going to grab some beers for us.” Once Drake was sure she wouldn’t walk into the wrong tent, he headed toward the private bar that had been set-up near the track just for the nobles. He wondered if Riley even liked beer, a lot of girls didn’t. They all drank wine and fruity cocktails. 

Beers in hand, Drake navigated his way back toward Liam’s tent just as he saw the horses being led out to the starting line. He hesitated before entering the tent. He really did not want to interrupt a private moment between Liam and Riley. How had he let her ruin the best day of the social season, just like she had ruined the best part of the bachelor party trip? He quietly made his way in . . . and they weren’t making out, thank god. Actually, they both seemed slightly . . . uncomfortable.

“Nothing like a little gilding to make a cage bearable,” Liam was saying. What on earth could they have been talking about that was so somber? Drake cleared his throat and the mood shifted suddenly. Liam smiled as he took his beer and clapped Drake on the back. Riley took hers wordlessly and took a sip without hesitation, her eyes still locked on the horses. Well, at least she didn’t complain about the beer.

“Hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Drake offered to lighten the mood.

Brooks tore her eyes from the horses and smiled at Drake. She looked . . . was that . . . relieved? “Drake, of course not. We’re happy to see you.”

“You are?” What the hell had happened while he was gone?

“Yeah, come join us,” Brooks said genuinely.

“And you're just in time. The last race is about to start! I say Twilight Dash takes the crown,” Liam challenged.

“That’s not a bad prediction,” Drake replied, “but I’ve been studying the stats. My money’s on Marabelle’s Dream.”

Liam grinned and Drake relaxed. THIS was how the day was supposed to go. “Want to bet on that, Drake?” Liam asked with a glint in his eye.

Drake returned the grin, “Sure. The usual?”

“What’s the usual?” Riley asked. Oh, she’s still here. Drake had almost forgotten, lost in his usual banter with Liam.

“Ever since Drake and I were kids, we’d bet each other push-ups.”

“Not just any push-ups,” Drake said smiling at the years of memories.

“Push-ups while the other person sits on your back,” Liam finished.

It was one of Drake’s favorite traditions. It had started over a soccer match when they were ten. When Liam lost and thought he was showing off by easily doing 3 push-ups, Drake had sat on his back and challenged him to keep going. After that, they went around for three weeks betting on anything and everything. That had ended when they made themselves sick betting on who could eat the most Cordonian Rubies, but they continued the tradition with bets on normal things ever since.

“That’s so cute!” Brooks declared.

“It’s not ‘cute.’ It’s . . . rugged. And manly,” Drake countered.

“Yes, very tough, I’d say,” Liam added.

“Oh, right. Of course,” Riley said trying to school her face into a serious expression.

“So do we have a bet,” Liam asked again, looking at Drake.

“You’re on.” Drake shook Liam’s hand and took a deep drink of his beer.

“Except perhaps one change to the usual. I think we’d be incredibly rude to leave out Riley. Maybe she should be the one to sit on the loser’s back . . .”

“Sit on your back while one of you does push-ups? I’m happier watching,” Brooks said with a sly smile and her eyes flitting back and forth between them.

“Heh. Yeah, I bet Liam’ll put on a real impressive show for you . . . when he loses.”

With that, they head the starting pistol and all three leaned forward, eyes on the race. Twilight-Dash took an early lead, but Drake wasn’t worried. If he knew anything, it was horses. He hadn’t lost a Derby bet in twelve years.

“They’re rounding the third bend,” Liam said in growing excitement.

“Come on, Marabelle. You’re gaining. Catch them in the final furlong.”

“They’re neck-and-neck!” Riley squealed, squeezing Liam’s arm.

“Come on . . .” Liam’s grip on the railing tightened.

“And there goes Marabelle! Ha! I knew it!” Drake cheered as Marabelle surged ahead for the win. 

Brooks cheered and gave Drake a high five, then put a sympathetic hand on Liam’s shoulder.

“Liam, I believe you’re up,” Drake said smugly.

“Well, here we go . . .”

“If you think I’m going to bow gracefully and let you out of the bet, you’re dead wrong,” Drake said, happier than he had been all day.

“Oh, I know. That’s one of my favorite things about you, Drake. You never let me get away with anything. Now,” Liam said, eyeing Riley, “I can’t get these clothes all sweaty.” Liam swiftly removed his blazer and dress shirt, laying on the table, grinned at Riley, who was clearly enjoying the show, and dropped into a push-up position.

Drake laughed and took his spot on Liam’s back, arms folded across his chest. Riley took a step back to take in the whole picture as Liam began his round of push-ups. Suddenly, Drake was wondering if she would have looked at him the same way she was looking at Liam and for the first time in his life, regretted losing a bet.

“You’re barely breaking a sweat. Maybe Riley should get on here too. . .”

“And . . . ten. Done!” Drake and Liam stood, and Liam quickly dressed.

“Never let it be said that I’ve ever back out of a bet.”

“And you lose all the time, so that’s really saying something.”

“I must have done something very wrong at some point for you to be my best friend.”

“I think it’s part of my job to keep you humble. Hard to do with all these gorgeous women chasing after you.” Drake shot a glance back at Riley, who was beaming at them, clearly enjoying the friendly banter.

“Speaking of which . . . now that the races are over, it’s probably time to get back to the social barrage. Next up is the lawn picnic,” Liam reminded them.

“I guess that means I should get back to where the girls are. Bertrand and Maxwell are probably looking for me . . .”

Drake saw the pleading look in Liam’s eyes and sighed. “I’ll go see where they are.” He stepped out of the tent to give them another moment alone and looked around for Maxwell. He saw him running toward the front where the cars were. Hopefully Bertrand missed that less than dignified sprint. He looked to the left and saw the ice queen and her bevy of minions gathered next to a tent. He started to go back and tell Riley where to go, but remembered the look in Liam’s eyes and remembered that he did not want to walk in on anything.

Drake cleared his throat to announce his presence before re-entering the tent. They looked happy and relaxed, but not . . . intimate. “I just saw Maxwell run out to bring the car around. The ladies are a few tents down, and they’re headed to the lawn picnic. I can show Riley over there.”

“If you must.” Drake was startled by her dismissiveness. He hadn’t exactly been welcoming to her, but he thought that their afternoon watching the races had been at least a little fun.

Liam looked at her longingly, “Goodbye, Riley. Until we meet again.” Dude, chill out. You’ll see her again in 20 minutes.

“Until then.” 

Drake and Riley walked over to the white tents. Riley tensed the closer they got to the ladies. 

“I guess I leave you here. Good luck,” he offered

Riley grimaced, “Sometimes I feel like I’d rather face a rampaging horse than deal with the others.”

“I don’t know . . . you didn’t fare so well in front of the horse.”

“Ha! I guess that’s true.” Riley was smiling and it almost felt like that moment back in her bar, before Liam came in. Drake felt a smile creeping across his face, but tried to hide it from her. Riley dropped the gaze first and looked down. “Hey, Drake.” She raised her eyes slightly, looking up through her dark lashes. “Thanks for saving me.”

Drake swallowed hard. Whatever he had felt back at the bar, and whatever he was feeling now, she was here as Liam’s suitor - Liam’s favorite suitor. His best friend was already thinking about marrying her for fuck’s sake. He decided to downplay the horse situation.

“I know I can be a jerk, but I’d have to be a real low-life to let a horse trample a girl.”

“Well. Thanks anyway.” She looked like she wanted to say more, but bit her lower lip and turned away toward the other ladies. With only a quick look back, she walked away. 

Drake let out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding and ran a hand through his hair. He needed to stay far away from this girl. He turned and headed back toward Liam. Liam would have to ride with the royal family to the picnic, but they would have a few minutes to talk before leaving.

Liam met him with a smile, “Thanks for bringing Riley with you today.”

“Yeah, not like I had a choice. She’s a stubborn one.”

“What happened?”

“She was lost because Maxwell gave her bad directions and she almost got trampled by a horse. When I let slip that we were hanging out in a private tent, she wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

Liam laughed, “Yes, that sounds about right. When she found out I wanted to see the Statue of Liberty, she wouldn’t take no for an answer then either.”

“So . . .”

“So?”

“You know what I mean. How did it go, with her? Today?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. She’s fun and surprising and easy to talk to, but I feel like she’s still holding herself at a bit of a distance.”

“Is that really surprising? She’s only known you for three days.”

“I suppose. It’s just . . . after New York, I’d thought . . . “

“You thought it was love at first sight and after one royal ball, you could sweep her off her feet?”

“Maybe . . .” Liam said sheepishly.

“This isn’t a fairy tale Liam and Riley isn’t a storybook princess. She’s a real woman and this is all new to her. If you like her, give her time.”

“Thanks, my friend. You’re absolutely right. When did you get so smart about girls?”

“Well, I’m not a prince. I’ve had to try a little harder to get women’s attention.” They had reached the side gate where the royal motorcade was waiting. Drake said his goodbyes and turned toward the parking lot while Liam joined Constantine and Regina. 

On his way to the picnic, Drake reflected on the afternoon. His stomach rumbled and he groaned thinking about the food that was sure to be served at the picnic and how long it would be until dinner.

******  
Drake arrived back at the palace and walked past the giant picnic set up on the lawn. He went inside and downstairs to the kitchen. He knew the kitchen staff would be busy with all the tiny sandwiches, so he tried to stay out of the way. Minutes later, he had a decent sandwich and salad, which he ate as quickly as possible before taking a walk to the expansive lawn leading toward the gates of the palace estate. He could see Liam playing croquet with Queen Regina, Riley and . . . Madeline? Huh. When did she come back to the capital? He thought she was hiding at her estate in Fydelia after Leo broke off their engagement. 

Of all the noble ladies at court, he trusted Madeline the least. She was manipulative and cruel, and unlike Olivia who he could at least trade open insults with, Madeline was subtle. Drake never trusted nobles, but she was the worst sort. He would never forgive her for some particular cutting remarks she had made about Savannah a few years back. She didn’t actually deign to speak to Savannah herself, but merely insulted her to others when she was sure his sister would overhear.

Drake made his way toward Maxwell. “Drake! You made it! I heard you saved Riley from a horse! I can’t believe I told her the wrong color of tents! So, er, thanks for that and for getting her some time alone with Liam.”

“I was there too, you know.”

“Yeah, but still . . . no other ladies around.” Drake rolled his eyes and looked around. It looked like the croquet game was over and everyone was making their way to the tables. He saw Liam, Riley and Hana settling into a table near the center. “Well, let’s go sit, it looks like they're starting to serve the food.”

“Yeah! The tiny sandwiches are the best.” 

Drake and Maxwell joined the table already claimed by Liam, Riley and Hana.

“Hey! We finally get to eat!” Maxwell exclaimed.

“If you can call this eating,” Drake said looking at the two tiny sandwiches on his plate and cup of tea.

“Drake, you WOULD complain about free gourmet food,” Riley teased.

“I’m just saying I’m simple.”

“I don’t think anyone would argue with that,” she replied with a smile playing on her lips.

Drake tried to hide the smile spreading across his face by looking down. He peeked up at Riley for a second and she winked at him. God! This girl was trouble. 

“What I mean is . . . give me a cheap burger any day over some escargot aioli.”

Hana looked around at the table, “Escargot aioli? But how would you . . .?”

“It was just a joke, Hana,” Drake answered. Poor girl didn’t seem like she’d heard many jokes in her life.

“Oh,” she whispered, flushing with embarrassment.

Maxwell, who never could stand anyone looking sad, changed the subject, “Anyway, onto the big question! Riley, do you think you impressed the Queen?””

“Well, I think they’re planning on executing me.” So, she’s funny too. Or at least she thinks she is.

“It couldn’t have been that bad,” Maxwell said a bit anxiously.

“Do you think the Queen approves of me?” Riley asked Liam.

“Yes, I think you performed quite gracefully in front of her.”

Riley nodded thoughtfully. She looked . . . sad? Why would impressing the queen upset her? That was the whole point of today. Oooookay, time for another subject change.

“Enough about Riley. All the little sandwiches are gone and I’m still starving.”

“Not to worry, there’s more food waiting for us back at the palace,” Maxwell offered.

Riley looked around at the group, “I could really go for a cronut right now.”

“A what,” Liam asked with genuine curiosity.

“I think you mean donut, Riley,” Hana offered patiently.

“You haven’t heard of cronuts before?” Riley looked horrified, searching everyone’s eyes for recognition.

“Can’t say that I have,” said Maxwell.

“Really? Okay, guys, we have a critical problem to fix. None of you have had cronuts.”

“Please tell me it doesn’t have anything to do with crows,” Maxwell asked anxiously.

“It’s the sumptuous inside of a croissant mixed with the glazed outside of a donut. It’s one of the best pastries ever invented.”

“It sounds . . . American,” Maxwell said, still sounding unsure.

“From New York with love! We have to get some!” 

Where did she think we were going to find cronuts in Cordonia? This isn’t New York.

Then Liam switched into responsible prince mode, “While that sounds like quite an adventure, I don’t think the schedule will allow for it.”

“Then how about a little jailbreak tonight? Think we can sneak out of the palace and go on a cronut run? I’m pretty sure I saw them in a window at a nearby bakery while we were driving here.” Ha! Good luck getting him to agree to that! Liam hadn’t snuck out of the palace in over ten years.

“That does sound like fun . . .,” Hana added. Interesting. Didn’t peg her for the rebellious type.

“Very tempting. Are you sure you want to do this, Riley?” Liam asked.

“Guys . . . meet me out front once it gets dark! It’s time to have an adventure!”

“I’m with Riley,” Liam said grinning at her.

“Me too!” Maxwell joined in, to no one’s surprise.

Drake shook his head. “Finally, we’ll have some fun away from the palace.”

“New food sounds like a treat,” Hana declared at last.

“It’s on then!” Riley looked happier than she had all day.

Drake made his way back to the palace a bit behind the others. He listened to Maxwell recount palace breakouts of their youth and Hana describe her favorite French pastries. Apparently she loved baking and sweets were her favorite. Liam had separated from them and was escorting Lady Kiara and Lady Penelope back to the palace. Poor guy. Drake wondered if Liam was stuck speaking French or about poodles.

After dinner, which was a blessedly small event with just the guests for the social season and not the full court, Drake found Maxwell and they made their way outside to wait for everyone else. A few minutes later, he saw the girls walking toward them. They had changed out of their derby outfits into more casual clothes.

Maxwell looked around nervously, probably not wanting to be seen by Bertrand, “Prince Liam is taking awhile.”

“He’s the prince. We’ll be lucky if he can sneak out at all,” Drake answered.

“There he is!” Hana cheered. Liam made his way to the rest of the group and Riley smiled brightly. 

“You made it,” she said as he joined them.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had to sneak out my own bedroom window. I nearly fell into the rose bushes, but I stand before you unscathed.” Drake snorted, thinking of the first time they had climbed out Liam’s window. Drake had pushed Liam before jumping himself, and that time, they both had fallen in the roses, only to be met immediately by Drake’s father, who sent them back inside.

“And now the real adventure begins!” Riley looked completely in her element. He wondered if she had often had to sneak out of windows as a kid.

Riley led the way off the palace grounds and through the capital. Soon, they were walking along the beachfront and the row of touristy shops. Somehow, she had spotted a small pastry shop and excitedly ran ahead, pointing to the cronuts in the window to show Maxwell.

Maxwell practically danced toward the door of the pastry shop, “Is it just me, or is it more fun to be out at night when you’re also breaking the rules?”

“It’s more fun when you know you’re headed to something delicious!” Hana added.

Liam joined them at the door, “After a day spent answering to the press and the Queen, this is the sweetest freedom.”

“And it’s about to get sweeter,” Riley grinned at everyone.

Maxwell threw open the doors and loudly declared, “We need all your finest cronuts, please!” The girl behind the counter looked startled.

Hana leaned over and whispered to Maxwell, “I think you’re supposed to go to the counter, not just shout from the doorway.”

“Like normal people,” Drake added.

Riley took charge. “I’ll handle this. You guys take a seat.”

The cafe tables were small, so they pushed two together, placing the chairs around the edges, leaving six spots. As Riley ordered, everyone else selected seats. Maxwell insisted on sitting at the “head of the table.” Hana and Liam sat on one side and Drake sat across from Hana. This left on open spot on the end next to Liam and an open spot next to Drake. When Riley came back to the table with a tray of cronuts, she sat in the empty seat next to Drake and scooted in, resting her knee against his.

“Watch it Brooks. You’re on my side.”

She looked him dead in the eye, “Sorry, did I miss the part where you own this bakery?” Her eyes flashed annoyance, but she also didn’t move her knee away. In fact, she moved in so that the whole side of her leg leaned against his. She quirked an eyebrow up, daring him to be the one to move.

“You don’t let anything go, do you?” he challenged back.

“Nope.” Neither of them moved away. Drake felt his heart beat faster. The rest of the table was still commenting on the cronuts and passing out napkins. None of them seem to have noticed the exchange.

Drake began to smile, “You’re going to be trouble. I can tell.” 

They were pulled out of the moment, and there was definitely a moment happening, by Liam’s voice. “Well, these look delicious.”

“What’s more important is how they taste. Let me at ‘em,” Drake reached out for a cronut, followed by everyone else.

“All together?” Riley suggested.

“One . . .,” Liam started.

“Two . . .,” Hana continued.

Drake was about to say ‘three’ when Maxwell bit into his cronut and declared it, “Delicious!”

“Maxwell!” Drake growled.

“I regret nothing. Mmmmmmm. . .Flaky, crusty, glazed cloud of flavor.”

Soon, everyone was enjoying the delicious pastries and the conversation turned from sweets to . . . Bertrand. Drake had forgotten that Riley had never been to a Beaumont Bash. Or a Mini-Bash. Or any other ungodly, chaotic madness that Maxwell and Bertrand put together.

A while later, when the cronuts were gone and the conversation started to die down, Drake noticed how happy and relaxed everyone looked, including himself. He never felt at ease around any nobles other than Liam, but Hana wasn’t so bad, and with other influences, Maxwell was . . . less annoying than usual. Liam certainly seemed more at ease than Drake had seen him in months, probably since Leo’s abdication. Maybe Riley really was good for him. . .

“We should sneak out more often,” Drake said, smiling at Liam.

“I wish I could,” his friend replied.

“We need a group chat for sneaking out plans!” Riley said excitedly. 

“Yeah!” Maxwell agreed and pulled out his phone.

“A group . . . chat?” Hana asked.

“Yeah,” Maxwell explained as he typed furiously on his phone. “It’s a group text message, so we can all talk together when we’re, you know, not actually together. Hana what’s your number?”

Hana gave Maxwell her number and Drake wondered how he got roped into this.

“Ok,” Maxwell started. “We’re all set, but we need a cool group name. Are we the Fab Five or the Cronut Crew?”

“I’m calling it the Riley Gang,” Riley laughed, she looked over Maxwell’s shoulder to match up names and numbers.

“Hey, I’m the leader of the group! Cronut Crew it is,” Maxwell declared. Liam and Drake shared a confused look, but Liam shrugged it off.

They stayed a bit longer, as Riley told them about other unique New York foods. What the hell is a turducken? It sounded awful. And Maxwell regaled them with stories of their misspent youth and Bertrand’s fun days. Finally, it was Hana that noticed, “Wow, it’s gotten late. . .”

With a deep sigh Liam announced, “We should be getting back.”

Riley nodded and stared off in the distance in the direction of the palace, “Don’t want the kingdom to panic over a missing prince?”

“Precisely. I’ve already been gone for quite some time.”

Drake rolled his eyes. What could Liam possibly be missing? After dinner tea service and reading export logs? This whole evening had probably done Liam more good than anything else they had done in the last six months. And that was sort of his job - to make sure Liam was ok. “Historians will tell of the day when Cordonia nearly collapsed because the Prince went out for cronuts.”

“Okay,” Liam agreed, “maybe it’s not that bad, but we should still head back to the palace.”

As they left the bakery, Drake saw Bastian move from the shadows into the light from the shop windows.

Bastien? What are you doing here?” Liam asked.

“I couldn’t let you go out without security, Prince Liam.”

“But how did you even know?”

“Please, your Highness. I was assigned to your brother before this. I’ve seen every trick in the book.”

“I’m sorry to have troubled you.”

“Like I said, I was assigned to your brother. Compared to him, you’re hardly any trouble at all . . .”

“But we should be getting back.”

“You go on ahead. I’ll trail behind and keep an eye on things.”

“Thank you Bastien.”

“My pleasure.”

Everyone started walking ahead along the edge of the beach, but Drake hung back, enjoying the peacefulness of the night. It really was late and had been a long day. Drake sensed someone falling into step beside him and was surprised to find Riley. He figured she would use the time to talk to Liam without the other court ladies pushing her out of the way. But no, she was here. Liam was up ahead walking with Hana. Maxwell was walking backwards in front of them.

“Well, you win this round Brooks.”

“Don’t tell me that even big, bad Drake thinks that cronuts are worth the hype.”

“I can admit when someone else is right. It’s one of my charms.”

“I didn’t know you had any. Charms I mean,” she teased lightly.

“Hah. You’re kind of funny, you know that?”

She smiled and then put on a face of mock surprise, “Drake, did you actually compliment me?”

“Don’t let it go to your head.” Drake looked down so that he wouldn’t give away the huge grin that was threatening to break out on his face. He tried to force it into a scowl again before looking at her again.

Riley beamed at him, “Let me just memorize the taste . . . . mmmhmmm . . . definitely a sour flavor, but mixed with . . . a hint of regret.”

“Laugh it up.”

“And with a strong, bitter aftertaste.” Was she seriously comparing our conversation to a drink? Damn. She really was trouble.

“Look at this. Everything’s better away from the palace. No stiff etiquette, no having to watch your back all the time. We can be ourselves out here.”

“Are you saying you can be less negative?”

“I’m saying you’re more fun when you’re not trying to play princess.” Drake dared to nudge her slightly with his elbow. He immediately regretted doing so as a blush creeped up the back of his neck onto his face. Thankfully it was dark and she couldn’t see.

“Hey! You two are falling behind. Catch up or we’ll leave you!”

Drake took the interruption as the perfect opportunity to cut off their conversation that was getting way too friendly and way too flirty to be good for anyone.

“Looks like we should catch up to them. Shame, I was enjoying myself,” Drake offered her a small smile and tried to read her expression.

“You can have fun after all?” she said with mock shock again. “Call the press, I’ve made an earth-shattering discovery.”

“It’s not really a discovery. You were just blind to it the whole time. You’re like the last person to discover the Earth is round.”

“Hey.”

Drake turned to face her, “Last Riley to the group owes me a drink,” he teased and took off running.

“Oh, you’re on!” But she couldn’t quite catch up.

***********  
Fifteen minutes later they arrived at the palace and Drake said goodnight to the group as he walked off in a different direction toward his quarters. He closed the door to his room behind him and squeezed his eyes closed tight. He was not doing well with his strategy to push Riley away. And yet, the more she stuck around, the more he wanted her around. She was funny and smart and so real. She seemed to actually care about people more than stupid rules and royal protocols. She would probably be very good for Liam. She’d gotten him to loosen up a bit and get out of his royal head for a few hours. Even Drake hadn’t been able to do that since Leo’s abdication.

Maybe, he didn’t have to push her away quite so hard. She didn’t seem to want to let him in any case. If she was going to marry his best friend, maybe they should get along. But then again, the way she looked at him wasn’t really the way you look at a friend. Friends. He could try to be friends with her in Lythikos.

There was a knock at the door Drake hadn’t even moved away from. The only person who would come see him this late was Liam. He probably wanted to talk about Riley. Ok. He could do this. Drake turned and opened the door to find . . . Riley. With a bottle of whiskey and two glasses in hand. Fuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple notes:  
> 1) This is the first time Drake uses Riley's last name instead of her first and I couldn't really seem to find a cause.   
> 2) In my mind, he still thinks of her as Riley and has to actually think about calling her Brooks. So, anytime he's caught off guard, or wants to talk more seriously to her, he calls her Riley.  
> 3) Uh, the dialogue in game changed. I've played book 1 at least 6 times in the last few months, and on this playthrough, the after cronut dialogue between Riley and Drake was totally different. She used to act surprised he would want to be around so many nobles. As I was playing through for reference to my writing, it was this cute exchange comparing Drake's reaction to being wrong to a drink. This dialogue fit my version of MC and their dynamic much better. So, yay PB for random rewrites of minor dialogue.


	9. Conversations After Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Picking up right where we left off, with Riley standing outside Drake's door with a bottle of whiskey. Later, the gang travels to Lythikos as Riley tries to figure out what she wants from this whole experience.

Riley stood nervously in front of Drake’s door holding the whiskey bottle. She didn’t know his favorite brand, but she remembered that much. Would he actually let her in or would he try throwing up walls again and say something rude. She thought that they had made some progress toward actually being friends that evening on the cronut run. But then, she wasn’t sure what she wanted from Drake. She was supposed to be here for Liam. Sweet, caring Liam. And yet, here she was, standing outside his smoking hot best friend’s door in the middle of the night, hoping to be invited in.

Alright, Brooks, just knock. She blushed at the thought. Drake had called her Brooks tonight. She might not tell him, but she kind of liked it. Ok. For real this time, just knock. So she did. A few seconds later, Drake answered the door. His eyes swept over her and the bottle in her hand, shock flitted across his face before it settled into his usual unreadable gaze.

“Brooks? What the hell are you doing here?”

“You said I owed you a drink. Liam’s not the only one who makes good on a bet.”

“I was just . . . I mean . . .” He stepped into the hallway and looked quickly in both directions. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Why not?”

“You’re one of Liam’s suitors. Showing up at my room in the middle of the night would definitely cause gossip among the servants.”

“I don’t really give a fuck what people talk . . .”

Drake raised an eyebrow and cut her off, “You should. A servant sees something, they talk to the press, all bad for you AND for Liam.”

Riley looked down. That was a very good point that she hadn’t even considered. “Oh. I didn’t know.”

“How did you know where my room was anyway.”

“It’s amazing what information servants willingly give out to a noble woman.”

“Great. I’ll email my contacts at the tabloids tomorrow.”

“Whatever, do you want to have a drink with me or not?” 

He seemed to ponder this for a moment, checked the hallways again, then shook his head and closed his door behind him. “Fine. But not here.”

Drake led her through a couple of maze-like hallways and then opened the door to what appeared to be a lounge of some sort.

“In here,” Drake declared. Riley went in and absorbed the environment. 

“Why here?”

“It’s one of the royal parlor rooms. Liam and I usually meet here for breakfast. No one will bother us, but no one would be surprised to find me here. And it would be a little less scandalous than being found in my bedroom,” he finished with a smirk. Damn that smirk. It made Riley’s knees shake and she hadn’t even had any alcohol yet. Maybe this was a bad idea. Instead she answered, “Sounds perfect.” And took a seat at one of the tables, setting the glasses and bottle down. Drake sat across from her, eyebrow raised.

“Why whiskey?”

“It is your drink of choice, is it not?”

“Heh. You remembered.”

“Whiskey Guy and Denim Shirt Guy were my mental nicknames for you in the bar.” Riley left out the rest of what she had been thinking about Drake that night.

“I guess that’s . . . .accurate enough.” Riley poured the drinks for them both, a double for Drake, which made him grin.

“So,” he started, “to what do I owe the pleasure of late night drinks with Lady Brooks.”

“I told you, I pay my debts.”

“Mmmhmmm.”

“I guess I’m just curious. How does a commoner come to live in the palace and end up best friends with a prince.”

“Nuh uh. It takes more than a glass of whiskey to get me to share all my secrets.”

“Oh, so it’s a secret? Should I ask Liam the story? Or Maxwell? I bet Maxwell would tell me.”

“Damn Brooks, there’s nothing to tell. My dad worked here, I grew up in the palace. Liam and I were friends. Nothing to tell.”

“Hmmm. Your dad works here?”

“Worked. He died.” Oh, something they had in common then. Losing a parent is enough to make anyone jaded.

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, well, are we done with the interrogation for the night.”

“If you want. Do you always do this?”

“Do what? Drink with Liam’s girlfriends in the middle of the night?”

“I’m NOT Liam’s girlfriend.”

“Not exactly.”

“No. Not at all.”

“Call it what you want Brooks, but you flew halfway around the world for the chance to marry him.”

Riley knew that from his perspective it must look that way. How could she explain that it had little if anything to do with Liam. She had been swept up in an amazing night that had made her feel more alive than she had in months, if not years. Then, when she was ready to put it behind her and start living her real life, Maxwell showed up and offered adventure, travel, and the possibility to live out a real life fairy-tale . . . well, it wasn’t like there was anything keeping her in New York any more, so she made the crazy, spontaneous decision to go. The whole compete-for-a-prince thing was a side issue and honestly, was the least appealing aspect of this whole adventure.

Instead of explaining, Riley just sighed and took another drink. “I meant, do you always push people away? You say I’m more fun when I’m not playing princess. I agree and I think YOU’RE more fun when you aren’t trying to hide behind all the doom and gloom.”

“Says the ’Mystery Woman.’ It’s not like you’re an open book either.”

Riley looked at him puzzled. She wasn’t trying to hide anything. Then she had an idea. “Alright Drake, I challenge you to a game of Two Truths and a Lie.”

“What now?”

“You say three things about yourself - two of them true, one a lie. The other person has to guess which one is the lie. If you guess wrong, you drink. If you guess right, the other person drinks.”

“So, this is your plan to get me to talk?”

“Are you backing down from a challenge.”

Drake took a long drink of his whiskey and then topped them both off. “Me? Never. Alright Brooks, you’re up.”

Riley thought for a moment about how much she wanted to reveal. “Ok. . . I have a degree in Biology, one of my parents also died, and I am a native New Yorker.”

Drake looked long and hard at her. “The New York part. Where are you really from?”

Riley’s eyes lit up in triumph, “New York born and raised! My degree is actually in political science. Drink up!” 

Drake took a drink and then looked at her a little longer. “Which one of your parents died?” he asked somberly.

“My mom. When I was fifteen. How old were you when your dad died?”

“Fourteen.” They sat quietly for a moment, sipping their drinks and understanding each other’s need for a few moments of silence. Drake broke the silence first.

“So, I guess that makes it my turn. “I was born in Cordonia, I’m not an only child and my least favorite person is Olivia Nevrakis.”

Riley laughed out loud. “Well, the part about Olivia has to be true . . .so, you’re an only child?”

“Nope, drink Brooks!”

Riley took a drink. “So, if you weren’t born here, where are you from?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know? Sorry, not part of the deal.”

Riley groaned, but smiled anyway. She could appreciate a challenge and figuring out this beautiful, brooding man was definitely going to be a challenge. She could tell he was just as attracted to her as she was to him, so what was with the hot and cold act? Maybe it was just her connection to Liam, but she got the sense that there was more to it than that. Maxwell had said he’s always like this . . . 

“Well, if you’re done with your drink and you don’t want to reveal any more of your deep dark secrets, I suppose I should go to bed.”

Drake ran a hand through his hair and looked at her intently. “Yeah, probably a good idea.”

Riley downed the rest of her the rest of her drink and with one last look at Drake, stood to leave. “Goodnight Drake.”

“Riley!” He called after her. She turned. “Thanks for the drink.”

“Anytime Drake.” And with that, Riley hurried back to her room.

*******************  
The next morning, Riley was pulled from sleep by Maxwell and Bertrand declaring they were leaving in an hour to head to Lythikos - Olivia’s duchy of eternal winter. Bertrand had left after Riley’s first declaration of, “Oh shit!” decrying her use of profanity. Maxwell stayed to help her pack.

“Don’t you have anything . . . warmer?”

“Maxwell, it’s June. It’s 95 degrees in New York and I was only supposed to be coming for a few months. I didn’t feel the need to take up valuable suitcase space with my coats and scarves. Damn it, I have some really cute ones too.”

“I did mention the skiing in the alps part of the trip. I guess we can buy a coat and some sweaters.”

“We?”

Maxwell blushed. “I’m sorry Riley. I’m really really sorry. I wish I could do more.”

Riley sighed. “It’s fine Maxwell. I’m not paying for rent or food, so I guess I can buy some clothes. At least these are likely to get used again.”

“That’s the spirit!”

“One problem. Where do I buy fucking winter clothes in June?”

“You’ll probably have to wait until we get to Lythikos.”

“So, what am I packing then?”

“Pants? Girl . . . things.”

Riley laughed. “Alright, I can do that. Do we get to eat before we leave?”

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that. How about I meet you in the small dining room in twenty minutes. I’ll be working on the road trip playlist. I’m thinking a combination of winter Christmas songs and boxing movie montage songs.”

“Boxing movie . . . montage songs?”

“Yeah, in case you need to get pumped for a fight with Olivia!”

“You’re a musical genius Maxwell.”

“I know. Hey! I got an idea, I’m going to text the rest of the Cronut Crew and see if we can all ride together. It will be like a party - but in the limo!”

**********  
Six hours later, Riley, Maxwell, and Hana pulled up in front of a huge chateau. Drake and Liam were riding with the royal family and had left very early in the morning. Riley had felt a little bad for keeping Drake up so late when she found out how early they left.

“Here we are . . . Welcome to Lythikos! Land of ice, snow, and mountains,” Maxwell said with his usual enthusiasm.

Riley couldn’t believe they were in the same, small country they were in a few hours ago by a sunny beach. “This is where Olivia lives? Explains her frozen heart.”

“Some of the time, yeah. She’s primarily at Lythikos Hall, which is further south, but she’ll host us up here for the social season, so we can take advantage of the snowy festivities.”

“And so she can take advantage of the Prince?” She wasn’t even sure she wanted to be with Liam, but she also wasn’t sure she didn’t. This idea of having to compete with other women in such a formal way was so bizarre and still made her uncomfortable. He also seemed certain that he wasn’t interested in some of them, like the poodle girl, so why waste everyone’s time?

Hana stepped out, still in her light, off-the-shoulder sundress. “She does have the edge here, but that’s no reason to admit defeat!”

“That’s the spirit,” Maxwell said, giving her a side hug.

Drake appeared and joined them, helping them unload their bags. “What happened to your brother, Maxwell? I notice he’s not around lecturing Brooks. I thought he hated to miss out on the chance to eat fancy food and rub elbows with the royals . . . “

Maxwell looked uncharacteristically somber, “Bertrand was called away for some business having to do with our estate.”

Riley’s eyes lit up. She wondered why Bertrand hadn’t ridden in the limo with them. “Bertrand is gone? I already miss his protocol pop quizzes. This is starting to sound like a real vacation after all.”

“If you want, I can quiz you on how to best stand behind a chair,” Maxwell offered.

Drake snorted, “Please don’t. We’re about to have such a nice time.”

“I agree,” added Hana. “It’s beautiful out here. Even if it is so very cold!”

“Didn’t you pack anything warmer,” Drake said, eyeing her sundress.

“. . . Not exactly. I didn’t realize it’d be snowing quite this much. . . but I’ll survive. What say we check out the inside of the chateau.”

They found their rooms and Riley and Hana made a detour to the boutique for some winter coats. Soon they were ready to join the other nobles on the ice. Olivia and Liam were already skating together, with Olivia bragging about her skating skills. Maxwell practically shoved Riley across the ice to interrupt them. Fortunately, Riley was a decent ice skater and quickly gained her balance. 

“Lady Riley, a pleasure to see you, as always. You’re a vision of grace on those skates.”

Liam was using the Prince voice and Riley hated the Prince voice. Well, if he was going to offer her Prince voice, she would use Waitress voice. “Thank you,” she said with a carefully polite smile. 

“I take it you’ve come to skate with me today?” He offered her a hand.

Riley shrugged off her initial irritation at the entitlement in his comment. She knew all the women were here to spend time with him, and so did he. She also knew that if there was any chance of talking to Liam rather than the Prince, she needed to tap into the fun version of Liam who played tag in hedge mazes and snuck out for cronuts.

“That was my hope,” she said with a grin and then took off across the ice away from him. Liam had come to a stop, jaw dropped. Riley turned back to face him, skating backwards. “You’re going to have to try harder than that.” With a grin, she turned back and started skating again. Liam laughed and caught up to her.

“This isn’t what I had in mind.”

“When have I ever done what you had in mind?”

Skating side by side, Liam slipped back into Prince mode, complimenting her choice of warm attire. Riley was frustrated by the shallowness of the conversation and pushed harder toward something with any meaning, finally getting him to talk about his childhood friendship with Olivia.

“Her parents were killed in a political assassination when she was only five years old. She was alone, without a family at her estate for the better part of a year before my parents and I officially visited. She was supposed to be in the care of her great aunt, but the woman had left to summer on the Riviera, abandoning her. Olivia didn’t have anyone. She was so alone.”

“Didn’t she have servants?” Riley’s heart softened a little toward Olivia, thinking about how hard it would have been if she had lost her parents much earlier and if Aunt Sheila hadn’t taken care of her.

“The servants were doing their best, but they were traditionalists, Nevrakis-family trained for decades. After a lifetime of holding the nobility up on a pedestal, they weren’t prepared to give her what she needed most . . . love. The first few days of our visit, she was sullen and withdrawn. I thought she hated me. But one night, I heard her sobbing through the wall. I actually believed it was a ghost, at first, but once I got over my fear and decided to investigate, there she was, little five year old Olivia, weeping and clutching one of her mother’s gowns, saying over and over again, ‘Come back. Please come back.’ I knelt beside her and held her until she cried herself to sleep. I knew we couldn’t leave her there. I convinced my parents to invite her to live at the palace with us. For almost two months, she wouldn’t leave my side. Just about drove Drake crazy, actually, but - -” 

Just then, they were interrupted by Olivia and Riley knew their time was at an end. She complimented Olivia on the beautiful countryside, which seemed to surprise Olivia. After hearing about her childhood, Riley couldn’t think of anything snarky to say and it really was beautiful. She also came to a very startling realization. Olivia wasn’t just competitive because she wanted to win or be queen, she was in love with Liam and had been her whole life.

Riley joined Hana, who, as it turned out, was an olympic level ice skater, though she said she never competed officially. Apparently, Hana didn’t even like skating that much, it was just something her parents wanted her to learn along with host of other skills, specifically designed to attract wealthy noblemen.

Pretty soon, Olivia declared ice skating over and that it was time for skiing. Riley hadn’t gone skiing more than twice and wasn’t quite as confident about this activity. The last time she had been was on a senior trip in high school. Once the ski lift brought them to the top of the slopes, she was greeted by a familiar voice.

“So, Brooks, you finally made it to the slopes.” Riley hadn’t seen Drake skating earlier, so she assumed that he must have been up here the whole time. Alone? Everyone else had arrived with her. What surprised Riley most was that she was the person he seemed to have sought out first. Not Liam, although that might have been because of Olivia, and not Maxwell or Tariq. Although, Riley knew them all enough by now to guess that Tariq and Drake weren’t really friends. Did that mean he considered her a friend then?

“What’s wrong, Drake? Were you starting to miss me?” she quipped.

“Hardly. I was just getting bored.” Why did he always act like he didn’t want her around when it was obvious he did? She rolled her eyes.

“Why didn’t you go skating?”

“Figure skating isn’t really my thing.”

“Really? I think you’d look good in a tutu,” she teased. Actually, she thought he’d look good in anything, even that damn denim shirt he was wearing again that showed off his biceps. Didn’t he have a sweater? Or a jacket?

“Some mental images aren’t worth the effort.”

“I suppose skiing is manly enough for you.”

“I’d hardly call what’s going on here skiing. But I’m looking to change that. How about a race?” 

Huh. Riley grinned to herself. He seemed to have caught on to her competitive nature and her inability to back down from a challenge - a trait they seemed to share. There were certainly worse things to build a friendship on.

“What makes you think I can ski?”

“Maybe I’m starting to have faith in you, Brooks.”

“I might have a little faith in you too.”

“It’s the apocalypse after all. Anyway, I’m going to start skiing down this slope in a minute, and if I get to the bottom before you . . . well, let’s just say I’m calling that a win, and I might never let you hear the end of it. Ready . . . set . . . Don’t wipe out.” And he was off!

Riley hadn’t had time to push herself off. “Hey!” Well, nothing to do but try and catch up. She took off, gaining speed as she went down the hill. She sailed past Liam and Olivia and saw a large branch in the middle of the path.

After swerving around it, Drake looked back and called, “Watch out Brooks!” Riley just managed to maneuver around it, but she lost some speed doing so. Drake had wasted time trying to warn her though, so soon, they were neck and neck coming to a stop at the bottom at the same time.

Drake turned to her with a genuine smile, ‘Not bad, Brooks, we’ll call that a draw.”

“A draw? You had a head start.” Riley and Drake made their way back to the ski lift and rode together.

“I think you meant to say that you had a late start.”

“You just don’t want to admit you lost.”

Drake threw her one of his knee-weakening smirks, then broke their gaze to take in the view as they rode to the top. After a deep inhale, he looked back at Riley. “This trip hasn’t been half bad so far. Shame that tomorrow it’s back to waltzing and bowing and all that.”

“At least I can ski better than I can waltz . . . which is barely at all.”

“Wait, you can’t waltz? I thought you danced with Liam . . .”

“Yeah, but he did a lot of the work. Why? Is it important?”

They had reached the top of the lift and shifted their weight to slide off their seat.

“Oh, Brooks, Brooks, Brooks . . . What would you do without me? There’s a ball tomorrow. All of the ladies are expected to dance the Cordonian Waltz in front of everyone.”

“Oh . . . It’s fine. I’ll figure it out.” She hadn’t had much formal dance training, but she could follow along pretty well and picked up dance steps quickly. It couldn’t be that different . . .

“It’s very complicated.”

“No biggie. I’ve survived this far.”

“Whatever you say, Brooks.” Drake made his way to the top of the slope, and Riley came up right next to him. He raised an eyebrow at her and she grinned back and started skiing down the hill without him. This run didn’t go quite as well for her, as Drake was able to catch up to her and beat her to the bottom. “Too slow Brooks,” he said with a laugh.

She came to a stop, spraying him with snow. A thought occurred to her that would solve her dancing problem and get Drake to spend more time with her. “Let’s say I’m curious. . . How does one dance the Cordonian Waltz?”

A slightly pained look crossed his face before he looked away. “Sadly, I can’t help you there. I don’t know the steps. You should ask Hana. If anyone knows the steps, it’s that one.” Disappointment flooded Riley, more than she thought it would. She realized then that she had never seen Drake dance with anyone at the Masquerade Ball. He had been sitting in the corner. Maybe he really didn’t know how.

“Yeah . . . maybe.”

After a few more runs down the slopes, Riley and Drake joined the rest of the group. Olivia still held her deathgrip on Liam, but called for everyone’s attention to invite them back to the lodge.

Drake stayed by Riley’s side as they walked up to the huge chateau. “Thanks for the race. I actually had fun,” he ran a hand through his hair and gave her a small smile.

“Maybe you’re not as bad as you seem,” Riley answered. She didn’t think he was bad at all, but since he had seemed intent on trying to make her hate him until today, she went along with it. They stayed at the back of the group and continued their banter all the way inside. 

“You’re going soft on me Brooks.”

“Excuse me, I am from New York. We don’t go soft.”

“Keep telling yourself that.”

“Maybe you’re the one going soft.”

“Riiiiiight.”

They joined up with Hana and Maxwell next to the fire and happily took mugs of steaming hot chocolate from the servant greeting all the nobles returning from the slope. Hana gave Riley a thoughtful look and looked like she was about to say something when Maxwell spoke up, “Did you have fun today, Riley?”

“Today was super fun! And now we have hot chocolate.” And it was. Winter had always been her favorite season and getting a little taste of it in summer was refreshing. Not to mention continuing whatever competitive flirtation existed between her and Drake, it had been a pretty damn good day.

Hana took a long sip and closed her eyes, seemingly satisfied. “This is wonderful. Look, little marshmallows shaped like hearts!”

Drake eyed the hot chocolate with a mixture of suspicion and disgust, “Just . . . just adorable.”

Maxwell’s eyes went wide and whispered to the group, “Watch yourself . . . we’ve got incoming.”

Riley, Drake and Hana turned to see Olivia sauntering over to them with a haughty gaze. “Well, hello, my dear guests. I hope you’re enjoying my spectacular hosting.”

“I always enjoy my time here with you, Olivia,” Maxwell said politely.

“Its . . .,” Drake looked like he was about to say something, then shook his head, “something.”

Olivia’s eyes narrowed and then her expression opened with a wicked grin. “Did you see that we have eclairs, Drake? They always remind me of dear, darling little Savannah. She’d gobble them down like a sow at the trough.” Wow, that was rude. Riley saw Drake’s expression darken, his usual scowl replacing the relaxed smile he’d had all afternoon. Whoever Savannah was, Olivia had clearly struck a nerve.

“Don’t talk about my sister,” Drake growled at Olivia.

“Why ever not? She was such a fixture at court, and then she just up and disappeared. You never told us what happened, and usually gossip is quick to spread.”

Drake stood to face Olivia, “She left because of people like you.”

“She always was the sensitive sort,” Olivia continued to needle. “Ladies like that don’t last long here.”

Riley looked back and forth between Drake and Olivia. Anger was rolling off Drake in waves, his jaw clenched. Olivia’s eyes sparkled, clearly enjoying the pain she was inflicting. Riley felt anger rise in her. This bitch had really had it coming. Drake looked at his watch and suddenly relaxed, “You know what? I just remembered I have somewhere I need to be. If you’ll excuse me . . .” He pushed past Olivia and went to the front door.

“Wait, Drake dear! Come back! I wasn’t finished with you!”

Riley had heard enough. She didn’t know what had happened with Drake’s sister, but she was not going to let Olivia’s cruelty stand. She stood and stood toe to toe with Olivia, “Leave Drake alone before I slap that smile off your face.” Her eyes were locked on Olivia’s, who registered equal measures of surprise and respect. Yet, from the corner of her eye, she noticed Drake pause at her words. Riley flicked her eyes briefly to Drake, who met her eyes and softened for just a moment before he walked out into the frozen night.

Riley frowned and returned her gaze to Olivia with a challenge. Olivia smiled widely, “Ooh, does Cinderella have a soft spot for the rough-around-the-edges commoner?”

Riley’s stomach did a flip. She wasn’t sure exactly how she felt about Drake, but she didn’t need Olivia spreading rumors either. If she had learned anything from Drake it was that she always needed to watch her back. Riley knew she had to choose her next words carefully. Their argument had attracted the attention of a few others in the room as well.

“Maybe I just don’t like seeing anyone get treated like that.”

“What a valiant hero to the masses. They must sing songs about you. Now, as charming as this has been, I’ve got to get back to Prince Liam. I’ve promised him a private tour of the Lythikos castle. Bye bye darlings.”

Riley held her ground until Olivia disappeared and the other groups of nobles had returned to their conversations. Then, she sunk back into the sofa she had been sharing with Maxwell. She looked from Hana to Maxwell, who had both remained silent during the whole exchange.

“I can’t believe the things Olivia says,” Hana grumbled. She glanced at the large window. “Poor Drake.”

“Yeah, he doesn’t usually let Olivia get under his skin like that,” Maxwell said, almost in a whisper, face scrunched in concentration. Riley started to wonder what that was about when Hana continued.

“Well, I hope he’s all right. I saw him go outside, but it’s not a good idea to be out there right now. I’ve heard there’s a storm brewing tonight. What can he be thinking?” 

Riley noticed the sky darkening even more than from the sunset. It held the ominous tone of a sky before a storm. Hana was right. Riley stood and tightened her coat around her. ‘There’s only one way to find out.”

“You mean you’re thinking about following him?” Hana asked in alarm.

“I’m not wearing this jacket for nothing. I’m going to see what he’s doing.” And she walked out into the night.

**************  
Riley followed the only path through the trees and after a bit of a walk came to a clearing where, thankfully, she spotted Drake.

“Hey, Drake.”

He looked back at her, startled.

“Riley? What are you doing here?”

“I saw you going off on your own, close to dark with a storm coming, and I wanted to make sure you were okay. After what Olivia said to you . . . I could see that it struck something inside you.”

Drake’s eyes hardened. Oh boy, there were the walls again. It was almost as if they hadn’t spent the whole afternoon talking and laughing with each other. “No offense, but you’re the last person I need looking out for me.”

Really? That was what he was going to go with. It’s not like anyone else was rushing off to check on him. “Thanks,” Riley spat back at him.

“That’s not what I . . .” Drake started angrily, then his whole face softened and he looked away from her off into some distant place. “Oh hell. I’m not trying to be a jerk, Brooks. I only meant that you shouldn’t have to worry about me. You should only be looking out for yourself.” He took a step toward her, this time his eyes pleading for her to understand and forgive.

She nodded, accepting the unspoken apology. Riley looked around to see what it was he came out here for, other than to get away from Olivia, which he could have done inside. In fact, it seemed more his usual MO to stalk off to his room or a bar to drink alone. She dared to take a step closer to him as well. “What did you come out here to do, exactly.”

“If you really want to know, you’ll have to trust me.” Drake’s eyes met hers, intense and dark. She was drawn in like a magnet.

“Trust you? I’d trust you with my life.” The intensity between them increased, the air almost pulsing around them. Then it was broken by . . . Drake shoving her hard.

Riley tumbled to the ground, “Hey! What the actual fuck Drake?” She looked up to glare at him, but instead saw a clear sky with more stars than she’d ever seen in her life, filled with a hundred shooting stars. She inhaled sharply, overcome with the absolute beauty of the night sky. “Drake . . .”

Drake threw himself into the snow beside here. He leaned over, head propped on his elbow, “Yes, my lady?”

“This is absolutely gorgeous!”

“He rolled over to his back and stretched out. “Nothing beats a clear view of the sky during a meteor shower.”

“I’m glad I didn’t miss this.” Growing up in the city, it was rare to see stars at all, much less this many and she had never, ever seen even one shooting star before in her life. 

“Really? Would’ve figured you’d rather eat bon-bons and dress up tiny dogs, or whatever Olivia had planned for the night.”

“Not exactly my scene.” She knew those were all things the other ladies would probably enjoy doing. In fact, the more time she spent, the more she realized how much she really did not fit in. She could get along, she could ‘play princess,’ as Drake had put it, but royal life was never going to fit exactly right. Where did that leave her in this ridiculous competition? The longer she stayed, the less it seemed like a fairy tale. Drake had been right yet again. Maybe he really had just been trying to protect her all along. And even though she still didn’t believe she needed protecting, it warmed her a little to think that he wanted to protect her, and not just because Liam told him to.

They lay next to each other in silence for a few minutes, just taking in the view. It was a comfortable silence and she marveled at how comfortable she felt around Drake even though he’d always been kind of rude to her.

“You know,” Riley said, turning her head to face Drake, “I’ve never seen a shooting star before tonight.”

“Really?”

“In the city, you can barely see regular stars.” 

He turned his face toward hers and their eyes locked again, lit up by nature’s light show above them. They were inches apart and her whole body screamed with desire to reach out to him, to kiss him. “We should make a wish,” she said, barely above a whisper.

“I don’t believe in wishes and fairy tales, Brooks.”

“Neither do I, but a little daydreaming never hurt.” She pulled her gaze back to the sky with some effort and closed her eyes. She opened them and wished on the first shooting star that she would find her place in Cordonia.

Clouds started to roll in and cover the stars, but neither Drake nor Riley moved. “Looks like we were just in time to see this before the storm comes,” Riley said, a little sadly.

“Yeah, I didn’t want to miss it,” Drake said softly. There was more emotion and vulnerability in his voice than Riley had ever heard before. It sent butterflies through her stomach and she turned again to look at him. He could feel her gaze, but kept his eyes on the sky. “I used to do this with my younger sister, Savannah, every year. We grew up around the royals. My dad used to do security for Liam and his brother, and my sister and I were allowed to hang out with them. Liam and I ended up getting close, even though I didn’t have the lineage to merit it. Savannah, on the other hand, got along with everyone, and they were all friendly with her. She loved living at the palace when we were kids, being around all the pretty dresses and jewelry. But it got harder when she was older.”

“What happened?”

“She . . . It was hard on her. She couldn’t take it, I guess. After what happened with . . . I . . . I failed her. I couldn’t protect her. I couldn’t protect her from this place or these people.” Drake covered his face with his hand and went quiet. Riley guessed he didn’t want her to see whatever display of emotion he couldn’t keep off his face, so she looked back at the sky to give him some privacy. She wanted so badly to wrap her arms around him, to let him know he could trust her. And she knew. She knew did not want to compete for Liam’s hand, she didn’t want to be queen, she didn’t want ballgowns she couldn’t afford or pressure to save House Beaumont. She wanted to stay right here, in the quiet wintery woods, and give her whole heart to Drake. He had let her in, just a little, maybe it was possible he felt the same way.

When he spoke again, his voice was composed and careful, “Sorry, it’s . . . I guess I’m still not ready to talk about it. This is more than I’ve talked about it with anyone in the last year, actually.”

“Really,” Riley said, surprised. Surely he had talked to Liam about it. “Does this mean you trust me?”

“I don’t trust anyone, Brooks. But if I did . . .,” he turned back to her with a soft expression, “I’d start with you.”

“Drake, that’s probably the nicest thing you’ve ever said to anyone.”

“Heh. Maybe.”

They fell back into a companionable silence and watch the last of the shooting stars disappear behind clouds. Riley noticed that they had both moved closer to each other. It wasn’t the same charged moment that had set her heart racing earlier, but each of them drawing comfort from the closeness of the other. Snow began falling lightly and Riley fought the urge to brush them from Drake’s hair. He shivered and she realized he was still wearing just his denim shirt and hadn’t brought his coat. Drake sighed as the snow started to fall harder. 

“We better get back,” he said in a near whisper. Then in a mock serious voice, “It’d be quite the scandal if I let one of the Prince’s suitors freeze to death out here on my watch.”

Riley reluctantly stood up and brushed the snow from her back and legs. “I’d hate for my untimely demise to cause you difficulty,” she said, falling back into their usual banter and trying to shake off the intimacy of the last hour.

“Not to mention that Maxwell would never let me hear the end of it.”

“I’m sure even Bertrand would be upset, in his own way.”

Drake rolled his eyes, “Bertrand? He’d only be upset if he couldn’t turn it into some kind of press event. Now, let’s go.”

After a few laborious steps through the now deeper snow, and without even thinking, Riley slipped her hand into Drake’s as they started walking back toward the lodge. It felt so natural, that when he turned to her with shock on his face, she stammered, trying to come up with a reason. 

“For . . . y’know, safety.” She knew she was blushing, but she also didn’t want to let go. The wind was starting to pick up and the snow was coming down hard now.

Drake smiled softly and interlaced their fingers, pulling Riley even closer. “It’s really slippery out here.”

“Yeah.” She leaned in and looked up into his beautiful chocolate eyes.

“We should both be careful.”

“Exactly.”

Slowly, huddled together, they walked back to Olivia’s chateau, finding that most of the lights had already been turned out and there were no servants waiting with hot chocolate any more. It must have been later than they thought. A glance at the clock nearby showed that it was nearly midnight. They were about ready to head up to their rooms, when Riley saw Hana and quickly dropped Drake’s hand.

“There you are!” Hana said. Clearly she had been up waiting, to make sure they were safe. 

“You’re up late,” Riley said.

“I couldn’t sleep. With you and Drake out there in the storm . . .”

“I’m sorry we kept you up.”

“Oh, I’m just glad you got back before it really started coming down out there! But you must be freezing, Drake, dressed in just that.”

“Yeah. I’m going to go get changed. G’night ladies.” And disappeared up the stairs, Riley watching him go.

Hana gave Riley the same curious look she had earlier, when she had defended Drake to Olivia. “I suppose we’d better go to sleep, too. The Cordonian Waltz is tomorrow after all and we’ll need a good night’s rest to pull it off successfully.” 

Oh shit! Riley had forgotten all about the stupid waltz and asking Hana for help. As much as Riley did not care about the stupid competition or the silly events, she also didn’t want to look stupid in front of the whole court or embarass Maxwell.

“I don’t think any amount of sleep is going to improve my chances.”

“What do you mean?”

“As Drake reminded me earlier, I don’t know the waltz.”

“Oh dear! It’s rather late, but I could show you tomorrow. We don’t have any events until dinner. If you wanted to, that is.”

“Hana, I’d love to waltz with you,” Riley said with a laugh. “Let’s make it a girls day. We’ll pick out dresses, you can teach me to waltz, and then we’ll get ready for the dinner together.”

“Lovely,” said Hana with a yawn.

“Alright Lady Lee, clearly, I’ve kept you up too late. We’d better go to bed.”

They made their way upstairs and toward their rooms.

“I appreciate you helping me like this,” Riley said.

“It’s the least I can do after you cheered me up at the Masquerade. I’m just sorry that I didn’t think to ask if you knew it.” Hana paused and then looked thoughtfully at Riley. “It’s a good thing Drake’s looking out for you.”

Riley didn’t miss the question in Hana’s tone. She froze. If her growing feelings about Drake were this obvious only a week into the social season, how could she possibly hide it the rest of the summer? Would Liam notice and have her thrown out? Would Maxwell? She answered Hana carefully, “Yeah . . . apparently Liam asked him to.”

“Riley . . . do you like him?”

The answer came to her mind immediately, but Riley didn’t answer. She wasn’t yet sure if she could trust Hana, even though she seemed to be the nicest and most genuine of all the ladies here.

Hana took a careful step toward Riley. “I wouldn’t blame you if you did, Riley. He’s very handsome. And . . . I think, though I don’t know him very well, I think he’s really just as kind and sweet as Liam, he just shows it differently. But, I have seen the way you two look at each other. You spent most of the afternoon with him and defended him against Olivia of all people. Then you disappear into the storm to check on him, when he seems perfectly capable of taking care of himself, only to come back hours later holding hands. If you say all of that is just because Liam asked him to look after you, I’ll believe you, but . . . Riley, I would never tell anyone if you need to talk about it. I promise.”

Riley still hadn’t moved from her spot. She let a few tears fall and looked up at Hana, “Do you think anyone else knows?”

“Well, I think Maxwell is oblivious, for now. Though, don’t underestimate him, I think he sees more than he lets on, but . . . Riley, this is why I said something, I think Olivia sees it too.”

Shit! Shit, shit, shit! Olivia actually could make her life miserable for the next few months. Or maybe not. Maybe Olivia would leave her alone if she thought Riley wasn’t a threat standing between her and Liam.

“What are you going to do,” Hana asked.

Riley sighed. “Nothing. I haven’t done anything wrong and nothing’s actually happened with Drake. I just . . . I can’t help how I feel right now. It’s only been a week and so much has happened that I haven’t even had time to figure out what those feelings are. So, I do nothing. I attend events, I get to know everybody at court better, and see if my future is here in Cordonia or back home.”

Hana nodded. “That’s probably wise. If you ever do need to talk it through though, I’ll be here. And I’d never judge you Riley.”

“Alright,” Riley changed the subject brightly. “The Cordonian Waltz. How complicated is this going to be?”

“It depends. Do you consider yourself a good dancer?”

“I dance like nobody’s watching”

“Is that . . . good?”

“At the very least, it means I’m willing to look a little silly. I don’t have much training, but I can dance alright and learn quickly.”

“Oh,” Hana looked relieved. “Well, it shouldn’t be too hard for you to pick up the steps. See you in the morning?”

Riley smiled and nodded, “Yep. Goodnight Hana.” And they walked into their separate rooms. Riley fell asleep quickly, dreaming of a sky full of stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my favorite chapter in the Book 1 section. The end.


	10. Another Ball

Drake woke up late the next day. Sleep had not come easily and it was after three in the morning when he had finally fallen asleep. He checked his phone and found a text from Liam.

_Liam: Can’t meet for breakfast. Olivia has my schedule set for the whole week._

Ugh, Olivia would use the fact that she was hosting to monopolize Liam’s time. At least he hadn’t left Liam hanging by sleeping in.

Drake dragged himself out of bed and into the shower, trying to sort through the jumble of thoughts and emotions that had kept him up late into the night. Maybe things would seem more clear in the light of day.

Riley had come looking for him - two nights in a row. Somehow, she had gotten him to tell her things he couldn’t even talk to Liam about. Why? What was it about this girl he had met a week ago that made him feel . . . safe?

He needed to snap out of whatever this was and fast. This was not the time to get mushy over a girl - sharing stories about his life and holding hands. What was he, twelve? And he definitely could not get mushy over one of Liam’s suitors, especially not this one.

Before the social season had started, Drake was sure Liam would pick Kiara. Penelope would never handle being queen well, and King Constantine hated Olivia and would never let Liam pick her. Then Hana came, and Drake had thought she was perfect for Liam. She was beautiful, smart, and actually nice. She seemed to have a lot in common with Liam and the perfect temperament for it. But Liam had said he probably wouldn’t pick her because he could tell her heart wasn’t in it. Then Maxwell Beaumont dragged a beautiful American waitress across the Atlantic and Liam’s choice seemed clear. In the short time she had been there, she had surprised him at every turn, proving herself both compassionate and capable. She could be a great queen and Liam could marry for love and everyone would live happily ever after.

Except Drake. But that was not a surprise. He knew better than to count on some fairy tale ending. Which meant he needed to stay far away from Riley Brooks and get over this stupid crush. Drake put on fresh clothes, fully ready to avoid Riley at all costs. He checked his phone again and saw a message from Bastien to come find him. Well, that was never a good sign.

Drake gabbed a cup of coffee and found his way to where Bastien and the King’s Guard had set up a small office.

“Morning Bastien, what’s the code red?”

“Morning is a bit generous of a term for 12:30.”

“I had trouble sleeping.”

“It doesn’t matter, you didn’t miss anything. Except, we have a problem.”

“I gathered. What’s going on.”

“We got a correspondence from an anonymous source at CBC. They have some photographs from New York the night you all met Lady Riley.”

“Photographs? Of what? Nothing happened.”

“You are aware that Liam was only given clearance to go out that night without security as long as he remained anonymous?”

“Yeah, and I’m positive no one found out who he was.”

“I’ve managed to get the pictures back and get an agreement to kill the story, but either you were followed, or one of the three of you took and sold the pictures.”

“One of us,” Drake was actually surprised. It wasn’t him, and he couldn’t imagine Maxwell selling Liam out. Maybe Tariq . . .

“Drake, I know it wasn’t you.”

“Thanks,” he said flatly.

“Take a look. They were going for a party boy angle. ‘Prince Liam’s Drunken Fling Before the Ring.’”

Drake laughed and glanced through the photos, “If they only knew how hard it is to get Liam to step even one toe out of line.”

“The King is worried that Lady Riley is a bad influence in that regard.”

“Meaning, she gets him to loosen up and have a little fun? I’d hardly call that a bad influence.”

“Be that as it may, her presence here has already shaken some things up and some people will never take kindly to change.”

Drake nodded, but didn’t speak. He didn’t want to say anything that might betray his conflicted feelings about Riley. He trusted Bastien with his life, but some things were better left unsaid.

“Back to my original point. I’m sure you didn’t take the pictures, but maybe you can help us figure out who did and try to prevent them from leaking any more photos?”

“I’ll do what I can.”

“I know you will Drake. Remember, if you do change your mind about looking for a position in security, I can help you find one you won’t hate too much. You could eventually be in Liam’s King’s Guard.”

“I appreciate that Bastien, but for now, I can help Liam better here.”

Bastien nodded, “Just remember that nothing stays the same forever.”

Maybe that was part of Drake’s problem. Ever since Leo had dragged him back to Cordonia, Drake was stuck in a holding pattern. Their childhood was gone, and it was time for planning and making their future. Only Drake couldn’t move forward to making his own life, Liam needed him around, but he couldn’t stay in the palace in an unofficial capacity forever. Drake sighed and nodded to Bastien.

“I’ll send you the photos, you can let me know what you think.”

From Bastien’s office, Drake went to find lunch.

Drake sent a text to Liam.

_Drake: Has the She-Devil released you?_

Minutes passed without a reply, and Drake found a seat near the fireplace to eat. It was unusually quiet in the main hall. Everyone must be preparing for the ball. He opened the message Bastien had sent. There were about a dozen pictures of the bachelor party in New York, most of Liam and Riley at the beach. Drake’s heart clenched seeing pictures of the two of them and the way they had smiled at each other that night. Liam looked happy. Happier than he had looked since Leo’s abdication, and maybe happier than he had looked in a decade. They had been best friends for twenty years, and here was Drake, with a fucking crush on the one person that had made Liam genuinely happy.

Drake noticed a picture of himself with Liam outside Riley’s bar. Huh. He wondered why it had been included. It was nothing special, nothing incriminating, nothing the tabloids would normally be interested in. They all knew who he was, but generally ignored his presence in the Prince’s life, which was just how Drake liked it. The next picture was of Liam and Riley walking off hand in hand. The photo was stunning. The lights from the parking area backlit them so that they were in a perfect silhouette, and it was tilted on a diagonal, drawing the viewer in and creating a bit of mystery. Drake felt his stomach drop just looking at it, so he quickly closed out the message and shut off his phone. He had to face it. This was not a crush, he had never felt this way about anyone in his whole life. He wanted her. And she was here for Liam. He squashed down any feeling he had hard. He just had to stay away from her and watch everything from the shadows, the way he always had.

His phone lit up again. A text from Liam.

_Liam: Olivia is making preparations for the ball tonight. Drinks on the balcony?_

_Drake: Be there in five._

Drake made his way to the grande suite where Liam was staying. He knocked twice and Liam opened the door with a smile.

“Sorry, to miss breakfast this morning, but I’ll try to make it up to you.”

“Don’t worry about it, I overslept. So, Olivia’s been keeping you busy?”

They walked through Liam’s room. Drake noticed Liam’s formal suit pressed and hanging, ready for tonight. They walked out onto the huge balcony with its wide view of the Lythikos mountains. Surrounded by so much snow and ice, it was hard to believe it was still summer.

“Yes. I did expect her to press her advantage here, but I had hoped for a bit more free time.”

“At least she hooked you up with the nicest room,” Drake said eying the huge hot tub on the balcony and the giant king size bed.

“Ah, that she did. I get the feeling she was hoping to spend more time in it.”

Drake cringed and accepted the glass of whiskey Liam held out to him. “She did emphasize that she was giving you a private tour.” Drake suppressed the urge to vomit.

“I know how you feel about her, but Olivia is mostly harmless. I made sure to be perfectly polite, and no more.”

“So you’re planning on dashing her hopes and marrying someone else then.”

“All in all, she’s not a bad match. We’ve been friends since childhood and get along just fine. It would keep Lythikos tightly tied to the crown. But, no, I don’t plan to marry her.”

“You know this suitor competition is bullshit, right?”

Liam sighed, “It’s tradition. But it does seem unnecessarily cruel to the ladies that have no interest in being here, or that I have no interest in.”

“It’s a waste of time if you ask me.”

Liam chucked and they settled into the chairs on the balcony.

“I wanted to let you know that I won’t be around for the next couple of days. Olivia is taking my father, Regina and I on a tour of the duchy. We’ll be making appearances in each of the towns, and it will take a couple days.”

“So, you’re saying I get two Olivia-free days in Lythikos? Sounds great!”

“Drake . . .”

“Look, I’ll play nice at parties and bow when I’m supposed to, but don’t make me pretend to be happy when she’s around.”

“I, ah, heard she got under your skin a bit last night.”

“Yeah, well . . . she started talking about Savannah.”

“I’m sorry, that was cruel of her.”

“It’s fine, I got over it.”

“Have you heard anything about where she might be?”

“No. Still radio silence.”

“I’m sorry I haven’t asked about it. I know it’s been a rough year.”

“S’alright. I know you’ve been dealing with your own shit this year. Leave it to Leo to dump everything in your lap and run off to do . . . whatever Leo does.”

“Or whoever.” They both laughed at that. Liam’s brother was notorious for running off for weeks and leaving a trail of endless women in his wake.

“I can’t believe he actually got married,” Drake mused.

“I can’t believe Regina brought Madeline back into the mix.”

“Do they actually expect you to consider her?”

“Oh yes. Father is already talking about how she’s the only real option.”

“That might actually be worse than Olivia.”

“Well, officially, I can’t agree with you, but . . .”

They laughed and finished their drinks.

“Well,” Drake said, “I better let you get ready for your fancy party.”

“Yes, it is getting late. Do you have a suit for tonight?”

Drake rolled his eyes and set his glass on the tray the servants would clear from the room while they were all at the ball. “Nope.”

Liam just shook his head and walked Drake to the door.

**************  
Later, after a search for where Olivia kept her booze, Drake made his way to the ballroom. Some of the minor nobles had already gathered and were mingling. Drake checked the seating chart and was unsurprised to find his seat at the table in the far back corner of the room. He was surprised to find that Riley and Hana had been put at his table. Well, so much for staying away from her. He found the table and waited. He saw Maxwell enter and nervously shuffle around the room. Liam and the King and Queen entered, greeted warmly by Olivia.

Since no servers were coming anywhere near his table with appetizers, Drake had to take matters into his own hand. He cornered a waiter and simply took what appetizers remained on his tray and brought it back to the table. Drake polished off the appetizers just in time to see Riley and Hana enter. They both looked stunning, but his jaw quite literally dropped looking at Riley. Between her exposed back and the neckline dropped all the way down, showing off perfect cleavage, Drake wasn’t sure how he was going to survive dinner. She was all the way across the ballroom, talking to Maxwell, and he thought if she came one step closer, he might have a heart attack.

His eyes flicked to Liam, who was also staring at Riley. Hell, half the men and probably some of the women were staring. Alright, Walker, cool it. It’s just a girl in a dress. The girls had left Maxwell, who was heading to the head table looking like he would rather walk to his execution, and were headed toward the table. Riley’s eyes lit up when she saw him sitting there.

Drake tried as hard as he could to fix his voice into his usual sarcasm, “Welcome to the table of exiles.”

“Drake? I’m actually glad to see you. And here I was worried that we’d be stuck with some stuffy nobles,” Riley said flashing him that bright smile. Once again, his heart betrayed him and skipped a beat.

Hana laughed as she found her seat, “It’s probably meant to be an even bigger slight that we’re with a commoner.”

“Well, Olivia really missed the mark this time,” Riley said with a wink in Hana’s direction.

Drake felt his heart soar and hoped she couldn’t tell how fast it was beating. She actually sounded truly happy to be sitting with him. “Thanks, Brooks. That actually means something, coming from you.”

Hana turned to him, “Drake, you don’t seem bothered at all to be seated in the back.” Ha! She had probably never been seated at the back of a room before.

“What can I say? After enough years of getting treated like this, you build up a thick skin. Besides, back here? Out of the spotlight? At least we can relax.”

Riley nodded enthusiastically. “And no one cares what fork I use!”

“Why would you use the wrong fork,” Hana asked, bewildered.

Just then, the servers came out with trays of lobster bisque. Drake felt his mouth water. Lythikos lobster was some of the best in the world. Unfortunately, Drake knew that it would be quite a while before they were served, but the girls watched each tray go by hungrily.

“The food looks amazing. I hope they serve us soon! I’m starving!” Hana said as the sixth tray went by.

“I wouldn’t get your hopes up. Where we’re seated, we’ll be the last to eat. If there’s even any left by the time they get to us.”

“But . . . the lobster bisque . . . do you really think we’ll go hungry?”

Riley looked back and forth between Drake and Hana. “Not if I can help it,” she declared. “This can’t be too different from hailing a New York taxi.”

As the next server that started walking past them with a tray, Riley sprang up from her seat and jumped in front of her. Riley’s expression shifted and suddenly she looked light-headed and drawn. “Please, I’m about to faint. I need food.” She reached out to the servant. “I haven’t eaten all day, I . . .” Her eyes flutter and Drake saw her start to collapse. He jumped out of his chair and dashed to catch her before she hit the ground. The poor server was so startled, she dropped a plate on their table, eyes wide, and rushed past.

Riley’s eyes snapped open and she grinned at Drake. “I can’t believe that actually worked, Brooks. Just . . . warn me before you take a dive. Next time I might not catch you,” he said still holding her.

Drake helped her back to a standing position and she squeezed his arm, sending his heart racing again. “Oh, Drake. You know I like to keep you on your toes.” And with that, they returned to the table.

“Well, let’s examine our riches!” Hana said with a relieved smile. “One piping hot bowl of lobster bisque to split three ways?”

“Let’s dig in!”

Drake took a bite. It was the best meal he had ever had at one of these fancy parties. His only regret was that he only had a third of a bowl. “This is actually really good.”

“I’m in lobster heaven,” Hana said with closed eyes.

“Solid work, Brooks.”

“Yes! Thank you, Riley! We’d be lost without you!”

“Aw, thanks guys. I’m sure the rest of the food will show up soon anyway.”

“So, where did that come from, Brooks?” Drake asked.

“Just acting.”

Hana looked at Riley with excitement, “Were you an actress in New York? I mean, I’ve heard the waitress story, but I know a lot of actors also have other jobs.”

“Oh, no. I figured out a long time ago that I wasn’t Broadway material. I did do a lot of acting in high school though, and minored in it in college.”

“Oh! What is your degree in?”

“Political Science. I was thinking that a political science degree and a background in theater would make me the perfect lawyer.”

“You’re in law school, then?”

Drake saw Riley’s eyes flit downward for a moment and then back to Hana. “Oh, no. I ended up not going.”

It had been at least 30 minutes, and the food still had not arrived. “Wow, the service here is terrible,” Hana observed.

Drake knew it was more than that. Olivia hated him. And she hated Riley. By extension, she must hate Hana too. “All by design,” he informed them.

“Even if it’s on purpose, at least it’s not the worst service I’ve had.”

Riley’s eyes went wide, “You’ve had worse service than _this_?”

“Believe it or not, I’ve been to a wedding where food wasn’t served until midnight. They got hideously behind schedule and decided to do an open call for speeches before dinner. It took hours.”

That was the worst service she had ever had. Clearly she had no idea how commoners were treated at nobles’ parties. “Oh, heavens!” Drake mocked.

Riley fixed him with a glare, “Drake.”

“I can tell you a real horror story.” The girls leaned in, interested. He decided to tell them the story of Leo’s bachelor party. The first one, on his engagement tour. The one he didn’t even show up to. “Let’s set the scene. Casual get-together. Lots of people I don’t know, but that’s fine. There’s a bar, man’s true best friend. So I figure I’ll grab a drink. I go up to the bar, and they’re out of whiskey!” Drake was pretty sure Leo had set that part up, just to mess with him. Leo was an asshole sometimes.

Riley grinned at him, “I could use some whiskey now.”

Drake swallowed hard. Every time he resolved to stay away from her, she’d say something even hotter and he found himself smiling and saying things out loud such as, “Now you’re speaking my language. But these dinners usually only come with some fancy wine and champagne. It’s too bad we probably won’t see a real drink at dinner. From what I’ve seen, Olivia’s got quite a stash.”

“From what you’ve seen?” Hana asked curiously.

“I did some exploring, and I happened to stumble across her wine cellar.”

“Really?” Riley said, eyes sparkling.

“Yeah, it’s pretty impressive, actually, and not a bad place to get away from all of this for awhile. Why don’t you join me there for a drink tonight, Brooks? If you’re not afraid of sneaking out after hours. . .” Drake clamped his mouth shut. He couldn’t believe he invited her for a drink when he was supposed to be avoiding her at all costs. And he clearly had not extended the invitation to Hana. Fortunately, a disinterested server arrived at their table, ending that conversation.

The server dropped two bowls of cold bisque on the table and left. Hana’s didn’t even have lobster in it. Drake didn’t even have time to dig into the ice cold soup when the musicians started playing a familiar waltz and Olivia called the room to attention.

“Hello, dear guests, and welcome to the Nevrakis family’s chateau. It means so much to me that you would join me in this place that’s so dear to my heart I hope you enjoy the festivities tonight as much as I will. Now, everyone, please join me up front to begin the Cordonian Waltz.”

Hana looked like she was going to cry, “But we haven’t finished eating!”

“I don’t think she cares,” Drake told her. Olivia was probably hoping Riley and Hana would pass out on the dance floor from hunger.

“Well . . .,” Riley said, “let’s do this.” Drake wondered if she had taken his advice and learned the waltz from Hana. And really wished he knew the steps so he could dance with her now. The girls got up and started to walk away.

Hana was whispering something to Riley and then turned back smoothly toward him, “Aren’t you joining us, Drake?”

Drake locked his eyes on Riley and said sadly, “Waltzing isn’t my thing. I’ll be here with the . . . food.” She nodded, her expression sad as well.

It didn’t take long to finish the soup and there was nothing else to do but watch the dance. Liam was dancing with Olivia. Poor guy. Hopefully he didn’t get stabbed with some knife she had stashed in her dress. Riley was dancing with Maxwell, smiling and laughing as they moved effortlessly through the steps. It looked like she had been doing the Cordonian Waltz her whole life. She really was a quick study. Then she was dancing with Liam, who looked like a kid on Christmas morning the way he was grinning at her. Drake’s stomach turned and his hands unconsciously clenched.

Drake forced himself to look away and scan the room for the bar. Suddenly a collective gasp permeated the room and Drake looked up to see Olivia and Liam kissing in the middle of the dance floor. That was . . . unexpected. A moment later, Liam was escorting Olivia out of the room, face fixed in his most polite smile. The Prince Smile. Drake knew he was upset.

Drake waited for Olivia to return to the ballroom, face unreadable and then ducked out to find Liam. He was standing on the large balcony just off the ballroom. Liam was staring out into the cold night. Drake could tell he wasn’t ready to talk yet, so he joined him without a word. He leaned his back against the railing and kept his eye on the door, in case someone came to disturb them. He noticed Bastien in the shadow and nodded. Bastien stepped back inside. A few minutes went by in quiet.

Finally, Liam said, “I don’t know what she was thinking.”

“C’mon Liam, you’re not that dense. She’s been obsessed with you since we were kids. Are you really surprised?”

“I thought she would have a bit more decorum in public.”

“Are we talking about the same Olivia? She doesn’t give a fuck about anybody’s rules but her own.”

“Ha, I suppose that’s true.”

“It’s your fault you know.”

“My fault?”

“You’re the one that slept with her.”

“Once. Six years ago. And it didn’t mean anything.”

“Didn’t mean anything to you. Obviously it meant something to her.”

“No . . . she agreed. We talked about it.”

“If you say so.”

“You were right earlier, you know.”

“Oh, I know. But what about?”

Liam laughed, “The suitor competition is bullshit.”

“Well, I guess it’s not too late to abdicate.”

Liam sighed deeply, “You have no idea how tempting that is some days. Then at least I could make my own life. I envy you sometimes.”

“Ha! No you don’t. You should have seen the ice cold lobster bisque we were served.”

“Lady Riley and Lady Hana were with you, weren’t they?”

“Yeah, you should have seen Hana’s face. Poor girl has never had cold soup in her life.”

“Did you happen to see Lady Riley’s reaction when Olivia . . .”

“No, I’m sorry.”

“I hope she’s not too upset. This . . . is all new to her.”

“Well, Maxwell was with her, I’m sure he could tell you more.”

“I’m . . . thinking of inviting Riley to my suite. Do you . . . think she would come?”

Drake’s stomach dropped. Of course she would take the chance to spend more time with Liam. He had the fancy balcony, the fancy hot tub, . . . the bed . . . Drake swallowed and ran a hand through his hair.

“I can’t say what she would or wouldn’t do. But that’s . . . a little presumptuous at this point, don’t you think?”

“I’m not suggesting . . .” Drake raised an eyebrow at Liam, who didn’t finish the thought. “I just want to spend time with her. We had a five minute conversation yesterday and I only talked about . . . Olivia.”

“You used possibly the only time with her this entire week to talk about Olivia? You’re a royal idiot.”

Liam groaned. “She . . . asked. I screwed up.”

“Well, I don’t have much advice for you other than if she does join you in your room, for God’s sake, don’t talk about Penelope.”

Liam laughed. “Are you ok with her now?” Drake did not want to talk about Riley anymore and he really could not stand giving Liam advice about her. Let him talk to her and figure her out on his own.

“Penelope? Oh, sure. She’s fine. You’re a dog person. You should probably marry her. I’ll start planning the vacations to Portavira now.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

“Alright, fine. Riley is . . . okay. I don’t hate her.”

“That’s practically a glowing recommendation coming from you.”

“Yeah, well, don’t read too much into it.”

“Never.” Liam sighed. “I suppose I should head back inside. Breakfast in the morning?”

Drake nodded. He stayed on the balcony a little longer, not wanting to see Liam talking to Riley. He was already having to fight off imagining her in Liam’s room . . . in the hot tub. He reminded himself that that’s why she’s here and if Liam married her, which seemed the most likely scenario here, then he would have to get used to them being together.

Having tortured himself enough, he walked through the ballroom with hardly a glance behind him and made his way to the wine cellar. He heard Hana playing the piano. Damn, she really was good. Between all her different lessons, it sounded like she didn’t get much of a childhood.

Drake descended the spiral staircase and took a look around. There was a counter in the middle of the room with glasses stored below and wall to wall wine racks all around the room. Now that Liam was inviting Riley to his suite, he doubted he would see her tonight . . . but if she did come, what would she drink? He pulled out bottles at random, reading the labels. Wine wasn’t his favorite, but he knew some of the basics. Maybe she would like the Moscato, those were sweet? He gave up looking at bottles of wine that easily cost more than everything he owned. To be fair, he didn’t own much. He poured himself a glass of whiskey and drank the whole thing.

Drake looked at his watch, almost midnight. If she hadn’t snuck out yet, she probably wasn’t going to. Why had he let himself think she would rather spend time with him than a prince? Just then, he heard the sound of heels on the stairs.


	11. The Rest of Lythikos

Riley cautiously stepped down the spiral stairs and saw Drake looking up at her. His eyes met hers and she tried to suppress the butterflies. She hadn’t been certain he would really be here, waiting for her. His invitation was so casual, and she hadn’t answered. Hana had told her she should go and seemed more certain that Drake would be waiting.

“He didn’t invite me, Riley,” Hana had said as they left the room with the piano. “He wants to spend time with you. Because he likes you.”

“It’s just complicated, isn’t it?”

Hana nodded slowly. “It is a bit. But it’s only as complicated as you make it. Do you want to stay up late talking to Drake?”

“Yes,” Riley had said without hesitation.

“Do you want to stay up late talking to Liam?” She’d told Hana of Liam’s . . . suggestion. It had really taken her by surprise and honestly felt like a bit much. On the one hand, she did want to give Liam a fair chance, but sneaking into his room for a soak in a hot tub was more than a romantic evening, it was pretty intimate for where their relationship stood. She’d had her share of one night stands, but those were just about sex. This was more than that, even if sex didn’t enter the picture. He was trying to find a wife for God’s sake. And he wasn’t inviting Hana out for romantic nights in a private suite.

“There you are, Brooks.” Drake’s voice shook her from her thoughts and brought her back to the present. “I was beginning to think you didn’t have the guts to show. Y’know, breaking the rules, out after curfew and all that.”

“What am I? Sixteen again? You should know by now that I don’t give a fuck about their rules and curfews. Actually . . . I couldn’t wait to see you again.”

Her eyes were still locked into his and that sentence had come out a bit more seductively than she intended. However, the result was more than worth it. Drake gave her his signature smirk that always made her head spin, “Aw, come on, Brooks. You’re gonna make me blush.”

The air was thick with tension. Riley’s heart was racing now. No going back, so she stepped closer, until she was right in front of him. “Now that I’d like to see,” she said, looking up at him, slightly challenging him to do something. His already deep brown eyes darkened, not with anger, but with lust.

Riley almost reached out to kiss him, when Drake turned away abruptly. “So, what’re you drinking?”

She knew the sudden pivot was Drake trying to control himself. She also knew he had to, but it was frustrating. A big part of her wanted to just tell all the nobles to fuck themselves and run off with Drake, anywhere he would take her. But that was not the world they lived in right now. Riley composed herself quickly and put a bit more space between them, looking around. “What’ve you got?”

“Nothing yet. It seems like Olivia has a very extensive collection of fine Cordonian wines. I’m no expert, but from the names I recognize, nothing in here’s under a thousand dollars.”

“You want to drink Olivia’s expensive wine? Pass me a bottle! She’s got so many bottles here, she’ll probably never even notice! And she owes us for dinner.” Riley scanned the Cabernet section.

“Before you pop something open, I also brought a bottle of whiskey down for myself . . . but I’d share it with you. So pick your poison.”

Riley smiled. She was happy with a glass of wine or a glass of whiskey, but she recognized that Drake was offering her more than a drink. He was offering to share something of himself, and that she wouldn’t turn down for anything. “In that case, I’ll have what you’re having.” With that, she hopped up to sit on the counter in the middle of the room.

Drake grinned at Riley, obviously pleased with her choice and poured the whiskey. They both took a drink, enjoying the taste and the company.

“So,” Riley started. “You came down to the wine cellar to drink whiskey? Doesn’t that seem a little silly?”

“I came down here to get a little commoner time by myself where I don’t have to bow and kiss hands for a few minutes.”

“I get that. It’s exhausting.” Drake just nodded. “Drake, if you hate the nobility so much, why do you stick around?”

“It must seem ridiculous to you.”

“To be honest, I don’t understand why you put yourself through it. I’ve only been here a week and I can hardly stand it.”

Drake chuckled and then sighed. “It’s Liam. It’s always been for him. I would have left a long time ago, but Liam needs me. I know he’s got nobles and courtiers all around him, but most of them would stab him in the back if they thought they could profit from it. I’ve seen so many underhanded moves that I don’t trust any of them anymore. And these are from our friends! And this latest one . . .”

“What happened?”

“I . . . I’m not sure I should tell you. It’s still being resolved.”

“You’re always saying I need to watch out . . . it’d be nice to actually know what for.” Drake took a long moment to study her. “Please Drake, I need to know what I’m getting into.”

“You remember Liam’s bachelor party?”

No, not at all. It’s just the night that changed her entire life. “Of course.”

“We found out that someone close to us that night was trying to sell pictures to the tabloids.”

“But who? Who would do that?” Riley immediately realized that by process of elimination it had to be Tariq or Maxwell.

“We haven’t tracked down the source yet, but I got a message from Bastien that we were able to buy the photos back before they were printed.”

“Call me crazy, but I don’t remember anything that scandalous happening . . .”

“You know how the tabloids are. A picture with a drink in his hand, and suddenly the crown prince of Cordonia is on a drunken rager. And then there’s the pictures of the two of you together.”

Riley thought about the pictures of the young British royals that often graced American tabloids. They often ran stories similar to what Drake described. She wondered, now, how many were actually true. “What? But we weren’t . . .”

“The two of you were talking, and he was clearly interested in you. That’s enough for them to speculate on. Especially now that you’re here. What was the headline the tabloid was going to run? ‘Prince Liam’s Drunken Fling Before the Ring!’”

Riley felt like she had been punched in the gut. Suddenly it wasn’t enough to not do anything inappropriate for a future queen, she had to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. That must have been why Drake was so worried about her showing up at his room. And she realized that marrying Liam would quite literally mean performing every day for the rest of her life. Not quite what she had in mind when she dreamed of being an actress as a child.

“And you have no idea who would do this?” she asked, helplessly.

“Not really. There are a lot of people who would be desperate for those photos. . . I just hope it wasn’t one of the guys. The pictures they had . . .Those would have been hard to take unless that person were someone close to us . . .”

With a new understanding of everything Drake had tried to tell her since getting on the plane, Riley looked at him, “Drake, I’ll watch out.”

“Good.” He finished his drink and poured another, topping off hers as well. He had moved closer to her. “Money and power make people do crazy things, Brooks. I just don’t want to see you get hurt because of it.”

“Drake . . .” She reached out for his hand. He hesitated, almost taking it, but pulled back.

“I mean, sometimes I look at you . . . and I see this wide-eyed baby deer who just stumbled into the hunter’s campsite.”

Riley laughed at that description. No one she knew would have described her as an innocent baby deer. “A baby deer? I’m more like an alpha wolf. Anyone coming at me should be prepared for a fight.”

“I’m starting to get that. You know what, come to think of it, maybe it’s the hunters I should be worried for. Your unique talent, Brooks, seems to be putting me in my place.”

“Someone’s gotta do it.”

“What is it about you? You’re so frustrating, but . . .” Drake’s eyes met hers in another charged moment.

“But?”

Drake shook his head. “Forget it. How about a toast, instead?”

Riley knew better than to push when he shut down a conversation. She straightened up and held up her glass. “What’re we toasting to?”

“To the moments in between.”

“Huh?”

“All the nobles think about are the big events. The grand balls, the press appearances, the banquets . . . They don’t even realize that the moments that matter the most are all the ones they’re missing. Moments like right now, just the two of us and some cheap whiskey. The ones that really mean something.” He dropped his eyes from hers and finished softly, “At least, it means something to me, anyway.”

Riley’s heart melted into a puddle. She slipped her hand into his and laced her fingers through his. “Drake . . .” This time, he didn’t pull away, he looked back into her eyes with hope and intensity. “It means something to me too.”

Drake raised his glass, “To the moments in between.” Riley touched her glass to his and they both downed the rest of their whiskey.

Drake dropped Riley’s hand. “Now, it’s getting late, and I don’t want you to get in any trouble.” He helped her slide off the counter.

“That’s so thoughtful of you.”

“I’m a gentleman, even if not one by birth.” Riley wondered why that was so important to him. She couldn’t care less about noble birth, but clearly growing up around royalty had made an impact on his life.

“G’night, Brooks.” With one last smile that sent her heart fluttering, he turned to go.

“Good night, Drake.” She stayed a minute longer, letting her heart rate return to normal and replaying their conversation in her mind.

Riley made her way through the foyer to the stairs, she saw a light on in the hallway that must be Liam’s room. She shook her head and made her way to her own room. After all, it was very late and there was a stupid curfew. If she was really being honest with herself though, her head was too full of Drake to even think about spending time with Liam. She was so screwed.

Unbeknownst to Riley, Drake was still watching, with his heart in his throat. He was certain she would slip off to Liam’s room despite whatever had happened between them. When she went straight to her room, he went to his own, thoroughly confused.

***********************  
Riley woke up the next day to a group text.

_Maxwell: Morning Cronut Crew! We don’t have any events today, so I have a list of activities and each of you must choose one._  
_There is also a corresponding playlist, so choose carefully_

_Hana: Ooooo, exciting. What are the activities?_

_Maxwell: We meet in the foyer at 10:00 and you’ll find out._

_Liam: Sorry, Maxwell. I’ll be touring Lythikos for the next two days._

_Drake: Not happening._

_Hana: Aw Drake! You have to!_

_Drake: no_

_Maxwell: I’ll bring you a bottle of whiskey._

_Hana: What about Riley? Is she up?_

Riley laughed at her friends’ banter.

_Riley: I’m up! Maxwell, do NOT come to my room._

_Maxwell: Ok. But you’re coming right?_

_Riley: Try and stop me._

_Hana: Why would he stop you?_

An hour later, Riley was dressed and ready for a day hanging out with friends. It had been so long since she had really felt like she had a group of friends. Real friends. Already, she felt closer to Hana than she ever had to Cassie. Maxwell was becoming like the brother she never had. And Drake . . .

When the four of them were gathered together, Maxwell presented his list of activities. Some were normal - Build a Snowman. Others were less realistic - Track and Catch the Abominable Snowman. “But that one has the best playlist!” Maxwell had protested when Drake crossed it off the list.

The four had a day of snowy activities that seemed much more relaxed now that Olivia was gone. They build snowmen in front of the chateau and Hana’s was practically a museum worthy work of art, whereas Maxwell’s was decidedly lopsided.

After trying out the slopes again, everyone headed back to the chateau. Hana made everyone the most amazing hot chocolate and everyone settled in for a poker game.

“Not to brag, but are you sure you all want to go against me in poker,” Drake said snidely.

That was all Riley needed to get her competitive spirit up. “That sounds like a challenge, Drake. What are we betting? All your whiskey. Or are we betting push-ups like you and Liam?”

Maxwell jumped in, “Did he tell you about the time I bet him 200 push-ups?”

“No, and you won’t tell her either,” Drake said flatly.

“Now I have to know,” Riley said with eyes on Drake.

“Some other time, Brooks.”

Hana added, “Well, if it’s push-ups or whiskey, I vote for whiskey. I don’t think I could do very many push-ups.”

“Hana, have you ever even had whiskey?” Drake asked her.

“Oh no. I was never allowed to drink anything other than wine.”

“Not even delicious, fruity cocktails?” Maxwell asked.

“No. But I can identify almost any wine from around the world.”

Riley and Maxwell looked at her with pity.

“Alright, are we talking about Hana’s sadly limited drinking experiences or playing?” Drake asked, dealing the cards.

They played well into the night. Maxwell was the first one out, having bet a flock of peacocks.

“Do you even have a flock of peacocks?” Hana asked.

“Heh, of course not. Why would I own a flock of peacocks and give them names?”

“Maxwell,” Drake started, “please tell me you do not have a flock of peacocks.”

“I do not have a flock of peacocks,” Maxwell repeated back. “But if I lose this bet, I will have to get one to pay you back.”

In the end, Drake and Riley were both too competitive to give up and decided that the game would be continued another time. Riley spent the next several days hanging out with her new friends, sometimes together, sometimes separately. Liam and Olivia returned from their tour of the Lythikos duchy, but the King and Queen had returned to the capital. Riley still didn’t see much of Liam, since Olivia had his schedule filled with all sorts of activities to monopolize his time.

On their last night, Riley had thought to go to bed early since she knew they had a long day of travel. But it was 10:30 and she still couldn’t sleep. She decided to take a risk and do something she hadn’t before - text Drake outside the group chat.

_Riley: Can’t sleep. Wine cellar?_

_Drake: I’ll bring the whiskey._

Riley tiptoed through the hall and made her way downstairs to the wine cellar. A few minutes later, she heard Drake’s heavy footsteps on the stairs. They had not spent any time alone together since their first visit to the wine cellar after the ball, which was almost a week ago. She couldn’t help but feel he had been avoiding seeing her late at night. But he was here now, and true to his word, he had brought whiskey.

“So, do you just bring bottles of this with you whenever you travel?” she asked as he poured them each a glass.

“Heh, usually a couple, but those are long since gone. I had to get this one from Olivia’s stash.”

“How did you manage that?”

“Acquiring drinks is one of my natural talents.”

“So it would seem.”

“So . . . why are you having trouble sleeping?”

“Just a lot on my mind I guess. When I first got to Cordonia, there was so much to do so fast. This week, I’ve had a lot more downtime and I think I’m finally processing everything. And that just makes me wonder what the hell I’m doing here.”

“I s’pose you’re doing the same things you were doing last week. Attending fancy parties and competing to marry a prince.”

“Yeah, maybe. I guess it all just hit me that this was really, truly crazy. I just got on a plane with you and Maxwell without even really thinking about the consequences. I mean, I didn’t even know you all then. You could have been serial killers who kidnap unsuspecting American girls.”

“Do kidnappers always give you rooms in a palace.”

“Might as well be a cage.” It reminded her of what Liam had said at the derby. ‘Nothing like a little gilding to make a cage bearable.’ She knew now that he was talking about his own life. Being royal was a trap, even if it was a comfortable one, and Liam had accepted it. “Do you still think I should turn around and go home?”

Drake looked at her and she could see the longing in his eyes before he blinked and looked away. “Only if you want to, Brooks. But no, I don’t think that anymore.”

She wanted him to give her a reason to stay. A reason that had nothing to do with Liam or House Beaumont. Why couldn’t he just admit he had feelings for her? Maybe she could drop out of the competition or tell Liam not to pick her, if he was even going to.

“ _You_ stay and put yourself through this for Liam. Why should _I_ stay?”

Drake stayed quiet for a minute and looked pained. “Also for Liam,” he said finally.

“While you have been his best friend for, what, twenty years, I’ve only known him for a few weeks. I don’t have that kind of loyalty.”

“Look, Liam has to pick a future queen by the end of the summer. If he had to pick today, it would probably be you. You’re good for him. You’d make him happy and you’d be a good queen.”

“Nah, I’d be the worst.”

“I don’t think so. Besides, Liam really likes you and he deserves to have that.”

“Hmmmm. Yeah, I can tell he likes me. He invited me to his suite for a romantic evening.” Riley saw Drake stiffen at that. “Ah, you knew about that.”

“He . . . told me he was going to ask you. Brooks, Liam’s a good man. He wouldn’t do anything you didn’t want to.”

“So, you also know I didn’t go.”

“I . . . did know that. Yeah.”

Riley sat quietly drinking her whiskey. How much did Drake and Liam talk about her? Did Drake tell him about their late nights? She suspected Drake had not told him, but was afraid to ask.

Drake asked tentatively, “Can I ask why? Any of the other girls would have gone. Probably even Hana.”

Riley looked up as if searching for answers or words. What could she possibly say?

“I know you won’t believe this, but what I told you on the plane was true. Rich boys aren’t my type. Look, I know Liam is your best friend, and I know that he is kind and smart and everything that prince charming should be, but the big romantic gestures that only money can buy, that’s just not me. I think you’ve got it figured out - it’s the moments in between that mean something.”

Drake blushed and seemed to be thinking hard. She noticed a crinkle between his eyes when he was concentrating.

Finally, he broke out of his thoughts and asked, “Alright then, why not go home? Why stay here?”

It was Riley’s turn to blush. Maybe she should just say it. Usually she had no problem making the first move. This wasn’t New York though. Here, the rules were different. “I actually have more here to stay for than to go back to.”

“What do you mean?”

“Here, I have . . . friends. And for the time being, I have a place to stay, a bit of a purpose. I don’t have anything in New York anymore. So, even though it’s only been a couple weeks, more of my life is in Cordonia than the US.”

Drake cocked his head to the side, “Really? You don’t have family back home that are worried about you? Friends that think you’ve lost your mind and want you to come back?”

Riley just shook her head. “Not really. My dad left when I was five and moved to California. He has a whole new family and only remembers to call me every couple of years. He didn’t even come to my college graduation. I didn’t tell him I was coming here - it didn’t seem important.”

“Your dad left when you were five and your mom died when you were fifteen? Man Brooks, that’s rough. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. It was all a long time ago and I’ve made my peace with it. After mom died, I lived with my Aunt Sheila. She’s my dad’s sister, but they never really got along.”

“Does she know where you are?”

“No, um . . . God, now you’re really going to think I’m pathetic. . . . She died a couple months ago.”

Drake gaped at her. “Are you serious? How . . . how are you still so . . . positive all the time?”

“Believe me, I wasn’t. The last few months have been . . . really rough and I was kind of shutting down, mentally and emotionally. Then you guys walked into my bar and I started to feel . . . I don’t know, alive again, I guess. So, when Maxwell offered to bring me here, it sounded a whole lot better than staying in New York and wallowing or wandering aimlessly through life, watching my twenties slip by without doing anything.”

“I know the feeling.”

“Huh. How old are you Drake? I just realized that I don’t even know.”

“Twenty-seven. Liam already turned twenty-eight back in March. Maxwell is a little younger than us, he turned twenty-six a few weeks after Liam. What about you.”

“Oh. I’m twenty-six too. Sounds like Maxwell and I could practically be twins, my birthday is April 3rd.” Riley noticed that Drake very rarely talked about himself apart from Liam. She wondered if it was because he didn’t see himself as worth talking about or because he was trying to remind her that she’s supposed to be here for Liam. “You didn’t say when your birthday was.”

“Nope. And I’m not going to.” He grinned at her and she felt her stomach start to flutter again. “It’s pretty late, Brooks. You should get to bed.”

“Thanks for talking to me. You actually helped me sort through some things.”

“Oh. . . well . . . good. I’m glad I didn’t waste your time.” Riley rolled her eyes at his attempt to put walls back up between them. It was no good, he had already let her in and she had no intention of getting pushed out again.

They started toward the stairs. “Drake, will you text me goodnight when you get back to your room?”

“Er, why? I’m saying goodnight right here.”

“Nevermind, it’s stupid. You don’t have to.”

“I didn’t . . . I mean. . . ok, G’night Brooks.”

They parted and walked to their separate wings. Riley let herself in her room. She changed and settled back into bed, willing sleep to come easier now. Just then her phone dinged and she smiled, knowing what she would find.

_Drake: Goodnight Brooks._

_Riley: Goodnight Drake, thanks for the drinks._

_Drake: Anytime._

Riley put down her phone, and this time, sleep took her in moments.


	12. Drake’s the Expert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drake needs some time away from everything to clear his head. Maxwell and Bertrand's financial problems cause issues for the Regatta and Liam asks Drake for a favor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mostly original scenes and a trimmed down version of the Regatta. I added about a week and a half between the Lythikos trip and the Regatta because it makes no sense that all these events are right on top of each other. In my mind, they get back from Lythikos on June 27th and the first scene in this chapter takes place on July 5th, with the Regatta/Beach Party on July 8th. Yeah, I got that specific about it.

It had been a week since Lythikos and June had turned to July. Drake had avoided spending more time alone with Riley, even though he spent time with the group as a whole, for as long as he could stand Maxwell. Hana, it turned out, was not too bad at all. She wasn’t much like the other nobles and didn’t seem to look down on him for being a commoner. Drake felt kind of bad for her though, it seemed like her life had been extremely sheltered, even more than Liam’s.

He still had breakfast with Liam every morning and they would often work out together, but Drake could already feel their relationship changing. Liam had lunch with a different one of the suitors each day, carefully making time for each of them. He was included in more and more official meetings and Drake floundered with what his purpose was anymore. For years, he had been Liam’s sounding board, countering Liam’s natural optimism with a solid dose of reality and cynicism. He made sure that Liam was eating, and helped Bastien look out for threats against Liam, both physical and political. How much of that was really needed, though? How much would be needed after Liam was married or when he became king? And where would Drake be then?

Drake had never been one for big future plans, knowing that no matter what plans he made, he got drawn back to Liam like gravity. But what Riley had said in Olivia’s wine cellar, about letting her twenties slip by without really doing anything, had really struck a chord in him. Maybe it was time to start thinking about what his future looked like. Though he had a feeling that as long as Riley was around, he would have a hard time imagining a future without her. Whatever force continually drew him back to Liam, Riley seemed to pull with equal force in the opposite direction. In just a few weeks, hell in just a few days, she had managed to turn Drake’s world upside down and inside out.

In order to clear his mind and get a better perspective, Drake told Liam he was going camping for a few days. Liam knew Drake could never stay at court for too long without getting a little stir crazy. And that’s how he ended up up in the mountains, camping out next to a lake alone. He made sure not to go too far out, so that he could still have cell service and keep an eye on how things were going back at the capital. . . and send Riley her goodnight message.

Drake didn’t quite understand why she had asked him to send that first message, but he continued to send her one each night since. She always texted back right away and because of that, he always ended up with dreams filled with her. In dreams, he could imagine she might not marry Liam.

The second night he was camping, he sent his goodnight text like always, and didn’t get an immediate response. After staring at the phone for three minutes straight, he put it down. So, two days away was what it took for her to forget about him. Well, at least now he knew. Then Drake realized he was being dramatic. She could very well be in the middle of a conversation and not looking at her phone. Or maybe in the shower. With that thought came a wave of unbidden mental images that he couldn't quite decide if he wanted to push away . . . or not.

Then the phone rang.

What the . . .? He picked it up. Riley. This was new.

“Hello?”

“Drake! Where the fuck are you? I have been looking for you all day! And you’re just gone.”

“Whoa, slow down there Brooks. I’m camping. It’s what I do when I need to get away from court for a few days.”

“Camping? Like out in the woods somewhere?”

“Yeah, that’s usually the idea.”

“By yourself?”

“That’s . . . also usually the idea.”

“Oh. I’ve never been camping.”

“Well, next time I go, you can come. Unless you’re too much of a city girl.”

“No, I like nature and stuff. I just haven’t been around it much, but . . . I’d like to. Unless you’d rather be alone.”

“I’d make an exception for you, Brooks.” His stomach did a somersault and not for the first time, he really wished Riley was there with him. He could take her fishing, and they could look at the stars again, and . . .

“Drake?” Oh, Drake had been so wrapped up in his daydream he forgot to listen to the very real Riley on the other end of the phone.

“Sorry, Brooks, I, uh . . . thought I saw . . . something.”

“Omigod, are you ok? Are there wild animals there or something.”

“No, I mean . . . yes, there are wild animals, but nothing dangerous. Anyway, why are you calling?”

The other end was quiet for a moment. “I just . . . I couldn’t find you and I was worried. . . . And I missed you.”

“What? Maxwell not as good for a sarcastic comeback here and there?”

She laughed and he smiled because he made her laugh, “No, not even a little.”

“Well, I guess that means we’ll have to train Hana in the ways of sarcasm and snark, so she can fill in when I’m gone.”

“Hana? She’s too nice for sarcasm.”

“What does that make me?”

“Drake, literally no one has ever accused you of being too nice.”

“Heh. That’s true. What does that say about you?”

“That I’m witty and brilliant. . .So, have you missed me?”

“Er, what?”

“I called you because I miss you. Did you miss me?” Every minute, but who’s counting.

“I . . . er, I mean, I don’t . . not that . . .I just” Jesus Walker, get a sentence out.

“I’ll take that as a yes then.”

“Brooks . . . you are trouble.”

“Too much trouble for you?”

“Maybe. We’ll have to see.”

“. . . . When are you coming back?”

“Day after tomorrow.”

“So you’ll be here for the regatta?”

“Yeah, Liam won’t let me miss it.”

On the other end of the line, Riley sighed. “Okay. . . . Good night Drake.”

“G’night Brooks.”

He hung up and let the phone fall from his hand. He was SO screwed.

******************************************  
The morning of the Royal Regatta, Drake followed his normal routine. Breakfast with Liam and Liam even joined him for his morning workout.

“I think you were right back in Lythikos,” Liam had said as they finished their workout.

“Probably. But I need a little more to go on than that.”

“It was probably too soon to invite Riley to my suite.”

“Oh that. Yeah, I told you so.” Liam looked pensive. “Liam?”

“Huh?”

”Is she the first girl to ever turn down an invitation to your room?”

”. . . Yes.” Drake snorted. Of course no one has ever told the Prince ‘no’ before or stood him up. “Still, I want to do something for her. To show I care about her. I want her to know.”

“Ok.”

“Any ideas?”

“Why are you asking me? You’re much better at figuring out that kind of stuff.”

“What about something that would make her feel more at home here? She seemed happy when we all went for cronuts, so . . . maybe American food at the beach party?”

Drake had to hand it to Liam. That was a great idea. “Yeah, actually. That would probably do the trick. I can arrange it if you want?”

“Thank you, Drake. That would be perfect.”

“Sure, I’ll barbecue up some chicken and maybe Texas brisket. Or, I got it, my mom used to make us sloppy joes all the time when Savannah and I were little. It’s pretty much an American staple.”

“You’re the expert.”

“What time do we have to be out at the docks?”

“The race starts at 11:00 sharp, so 10:30 should be fine, especially if you want to avoid the press.”

“Alright, well, if I’m going to take care of the food, I better get on that. I’ll see you out there. Don’t get on any boats.”

“No fear of that!”

“Ever going to tell your dad that you hate sailing?”

“Probably not. Let the old man have his fun. I’ll see you there.”

Drake went to his room first to shower and when he got out, there were twelve missed calls and about 20 texts from Maxwell. Damn it! How did he manage to fuck up get Riley on the fancy ass Beaumont yacht’? He called Maxwell back on his way to the kitchen.

“Maxwell, you have 30 seconds.”

“Ah, so, there was a misunderstanding and . . .”

“10 seconds left.”

“Riley needs help.”

“How can she need help? All she has to do is sit on the stupid boat.”

“Well, that’s what I was trying to explain. We. . . uh, don’t have a crew.”

Drake came to a full stop in the hallway outside the kitchen.

“And you want me to come sail your boat?”

“I’ll help. And I’m sure Riley will too.”

“Anybody else?” Drake asked through gritted teeth.

“Only if I can find Bertrand.”

“Damn it Beaumont!”

“Please Drake? I’ll owe you big time.”

“That’s what you said after the New Year’s Bash three years ago.”

“Hey! I paid you for that!”

“Not enough.”

“So, will you do it?”

Drake let out a heavy sigh. “Sure. Why not? I have something I have to take care of and I’ll be right there.”

“Thanks buddy!”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Aye aye captain!”

“This is going to be a long day.”

Drake walked into the kitchen and spoke with the head chef about his needs for the day. He assured him that he would stay out of the way and only use the food put aside for him. Drake checked the ingredients to see if he needed to stop for anything else, but unsurprisingly, found that he had what he needed.

The kitchen taken care of, Drake drove out to the marina. Like the derby, he actually enjoyed the Regatta. Fresh sea air, races to bet on and watch Liam lose. If there weren’t so many nobles around, it would be a pretty great day. And it would be an even better day if he didn’t have to deal with Maxwell.

Drake dodged the press as they swarmed the docks looking for noble ladies to interview and found the Beaumont yacht just as Constantine was making his opening remarks. Maxwell was alone on the boat, so Drake rushed over to make sure he didn’t touch anything important.

“So, the illustrious Duke of Ramsford couldn’t be bothered to save his house reputation on his own?”

“Uh, Bertrand hates outdoor events. It’s probably best if he’s not here.”

“Great, it’s just me and the lord of the dance.”

“And Riley.”

“I don’t think she knows how to sail.”

“Maybe she does! She’s from an island.”

“Manhattan isn’t really known for sailing . . .”

He started making adjustments as King Constantine gave his opening speech. Drake wasn’t listening, so it was a surprise when Maxwell gasped. “What?” Drake asked.

“You didn’t hear?”

“I was getting your boat ready. What happened?”

“Constantine announced his retirement at the end of the social season. Liam will be King by the end of summer.”

“Holy shit! Why would he do that?”

“I don’t know, but this changes everything.”

Drake’s eyes searched the crowd worriedly for Liam. He should probably go find him. . .

“Maxwell. . . I should probably go find Liam.”

Maxwell looked around. “He’s over there, talking to the press with Riley. Looks like he’s fine,” Maxwell added suggestively.

Drake turned just in time to see Riley lean in to kiss Liam on the cheek, beaming at him. He fought against the jealousy that surged through him. He reminded himself for the thousandth time that the whole reason she was here was for Liam, whatever her initial reasons for coming had been. He watched carefully as Liam and Riley walked toward them. Maxwell waved them over.

“Riley, over here!”

Liam and Riley exchanged a few words that Drake couldn’t hear and Liam kissed her on the cheek and walked away. Riley joined them on the boat with a smile, and the smile quickly faded, replaced by panic as she looked around.

“Drake? What are you doing here? Maxwell, didn’t you leave with Bertrand? And shouldn’t there be other people? Like . . . an actual crew?”

Drake folded his arms across his chest, “Yeah, Maxwell. What happened?”

“Well . . . I have good news and bad news.”

“Tell me the bad news first,” Riley said, clearly trying to hide her anxiousness.

“The bad news is that the actual crew dropped out . . . Something about not paying upfront? But the good news . . . you still have a crew. In fact, Drake volunteered to help out!” That was a joke.

“He ‘volunteered’?”

“Maxwell begged me,” Drake clarified.

“I thought I was rather dignified.”

“Practically in tears, actually.”

Riley looked back and forth between them, “And you both . . . know about sailing?” Clearly she was skeptical.

“I used to own several boats, and Drake is an excellent boatman!”

Riley fixed Drake with a smirk, “I just heard a story about a capsized boat from Liam that says Drake isn’t so great with boats.”

“He told you about that?” Drake wondered if Liam had left in the part where Drake had saved his ass. Also, that was fifteen years ago!

“Okay, that was bad, but after that whole mess, I decided I’d spend a summer learning how to sail properly. . . Trust me, you’re in good hands. At least mine. Can’t speak for Maxwell.” Riley had visibly relaxed when he said to trust him. Did that mean . . . she did trust him?

“Hey!”

“Wait, what about Bertrand? Why isn’t he here?” Now she was asking the right questions.

“His words were, and I quote ‘Have we fallen so far? Is this what becomes of House Ramsford?’ And then he muttered something about ruin and reducing our name to rubble and then I hope he went to get a drink or something after that.”

“Sounds about right,” Riley said musingly. “What about Tariq? He looks like a guy who could sail a boat.” Tariq? Is she serious right now? Drake laughed, hard. Riley hit him on the arm, but he only laughed harder. “It was only a thought.”

Wiping tears from his eyes, Drake got his laughter under control. “Yeah, yeah. I’m sorry to say, Brooks, you’re not going to be cruising around like the other ladies. You’re going to have to do some work to help us win. I hope you’re up to the job.” That should do the trick, this girl was nearly as competitive as he was. He knew she wouldn’t back down from a challenge.

“Only if YOU can keep up.” There she was - cocky beyond reason.

Drake threw her a grin, “You’re on, Brooks.” He grabbed the last rope and tied it off. “Casting off!” He unfurled the sail and steered them to the starting line. Maxwell stood ready and Riley was still standing around, clearly with no idea what to do.

Just then, Olivia shouted some insult and he watched the real competitive Riley come out.

“Maxwell,” she shouted, “how do we win this thing?”

“Riley, you’ll be watching the wind indicator for us. Whenever it shifts, tell us, so we can adjust the sails.”

“We’ll tell you what else needs to be done as it comes.”

For the first time he had ever seen, Riley looked entirely insecure. “Sounds doable . . .”

In the distance, the starting pistol went off and Drake unfurled the sail, catching the wind. Unfortunately, Olivia’s crew was a hair faster and took an early lead.

“I’ll be waiting at the finish line!” Olivia called out to the smugly.

Drake tried to give as clear instructions as he could for Riley and Maxwell, and to his surprise, they didn’t do too badly. Riley even managed a decent sailor’s knot and he wondered where she had learned it. However, as they approached the buoy marking the turn around point, Drake could tell they were coming in too fast. He tried to adjust, but it was too late. With a warning to brace themselves, he turned the boat, hard, the deck skimming the surface of the water. With a little luck and a few instructions, they actually managed to surge ahead of Olivia’s boat and win the race.

Drake looked at Riley, who was elated. “We did it!” She cheered, nearly knocking Maxwell over in a hug. She turned and threw herself at Drake. And suddenly, there she was in his arms. He knew it wasn’t a romantic hug, but the nearness of her still felt right, as if that was always how they were supposed to feel, just like when she had grabbed his hand in the snow in Lythikos. “You really pulled through for us, Brooks,” he said as they pulled apart. She beamed up at him, making the whole morning worth it.

As they disembarked, he could see Liam and the King through the crowd.

“Congratulations, Lady Riley. . . That was some impressive sailing out there.” Drake met Liam’s eye and they shared a look, knowing who had really done most of the work, but neither wanting to take anything away from Riley’s victory.

“I can’t take all the credit, sir. Just most of it.” With that, Drake burst out laughing along with Liam and the King.

“This girl has a sense of humor, Liam.”

"I know, Father.”

“Lady Riley, I commend you and your crew. Please enjoy the rest of the festivities.”

After that, Liam told Riley that most of the ladies would be on Olivia’s yacht to enjoy the official races of the regatta, but he saw Riley slip off with Hana. Good choice!

Drake turned to Liam, “I’m going to head back to the palace to take care of the food we talked about earlier. I got it all arranged this morning.”

“Thanks Drake. Care to place a bet on the winner of the race before you go? I think my luck is with the American . . .” Drake saw his eyes drift toward where Riley had left with Hana.

“You’re on, I’ll pick the pirate sails. The usual?”

“Of course! Hey Liam? About your father’s announcement earlier? You ok?”

Liam took a deep breath. “No. He told me he would explain further this evening. But please, don’t worry about me.”

“And you’ll let me know if I need to start worrying?”

“I always do.”


	13. The Beach Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang hangs out at the beach party and Drake provides the food. Hana turns out to be a sneaky wing-woman and Drake and Riley share a heated moment. An excursion with Liam turns out to be a little more romantic than Riley had hoped.

After a stop at a cute touristy looking shop for a new bikini, Riley and Maxwell were finally on the way to the beach party.

“Alright, I have the playlist set, but should it start with California Gurls or Cake by the Ocean?” Maxwell asked.

“Maxwell, how long is the ride there?”

“Only about four minutes.”

“So, we only actually have time for one song, not a whole playlist.”

“Right, but there needs to be a playlist.”

“Of course. Well, in that case, Cake it is.”

Music pumping through the back of the limo, Riley and Maxwell sang along, using champagne bottles as microphones. A few minutes later, they arrived. “Thanks Riley.”

“For what?”

“For having fun with me and not making me feel like a screw up.”

“Oh Maxwell, you know you’re not a screw-up, right?”

“That’s not what Bertrand says.”

“Hmmm. Well Bertrand’s wrong then. Race you to the beach!”

They took off, but Maxwell, who actually liked running, easily caught up to her.

“I believe I win,” he informed her.

“Next time I suggest a race, remind me how bad I am at running."

"Riley! I've never seen you accept defeat!"

"First time for everything I suppose. Also, I've never won at anything to do with running in my life. So, where’s Liam?”

Riley kind of wanted to get the ‘time with Liam’ part of the afternoon checked off the list so she could enjoy the rest of the day without pressure. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy spending time with Liam, in fact, their more recent interactions had been fun and he had finally seemed to stop performing the role of Perfectly Polite Prince and let her get glimpses of the real Liam. However, in situations like this, she knew it would likely be another few minutes of shallow conversation before he was whisked off by someone else. If this process was supposed to be designed to help him get to know each of the ladies, they needed to fire whoever designed it. The only time Riley really got to know anything about Liam was in moments outside of the official competition. This was no way to build a relationship, or even a friendship.

“Looks like he’s tied up with the Queen and Madeline right now.”

“Should I try to make a move?”

“Better to bide your time. You’ll likely get only one shot at spending time with him today. Better to do it when Queen Regina’s not around. In the meantime, we might as well eat!”

Riley and Maxwell made their way to a buffet table set up on the far side of the beach. Hana soon joined them as they perused the appetizers. Riley couldn’t even identify most of them.

“Have you tried the appetizers,” Hana asked.

“What are they?” Maxwell asked.

“Some kind of avant-garde, gourmet seafood thing. . .”

It sounded like the pretentious food that would be served in an exclusive “pop-up” restaurant in New York. That was definitely not Riley’s scene. “They seem a little . . . fishy. Literally.”

Hana nodded, “It’s a bit high-end, but we should give it a try.”

Riley looked back at the food, still skeptical, “I’m pretty sure it’s still moving . . . I think it just wriggled.” She suppressed the urge to vomit as she picked one up.

“That means it’s fresh?” offered Hana.

“True. Well, here goes . . .” Riley, Maxwell, and Hana ‘toasted’ their appetizers and took a bite. Riley choked hers down.

“Mmm, squishy!” declared Maxwell.

“Please don’t ever refer to something I ate as squishy again,” Riley said.

“Well, it tastes like caviar. . . and very expensive caviar, at that!” Hana said, seeming to actually enjoy it.

“Kind of like . . salty . . .jell-o,” Riley said weakly.

“Hey, there’s Drake!” Maxwell said, drawing their attention to Drake, standing next to another group of tables, piled high with food and waving them closer. As Riley, Hana, and Maxwell got closer, Riley could smell the delicious BBQ chicken.

“I hope you all came hungry because the real food has arrived,” Drake looked proudly over the spread.

“There’s so much of it,” Maxwell said, already piling his plate high.

“Is this barbecue,” Hana asked.

“Oh, yes. Classic Americana,” Drake said, giving her a tour of the table. “You’ve got your pulled pork, chicken kebabs, brisket, ribs, vegetables, and sauces unique to regions around the world. And you can’t forget the classic sloppy joe.” Though he was talking to Hana, Drake glanced over at Riley, gauging her reaction. Riley smiled brilliantly at him. She had no doubt that Drake had done this for her.

“A . . . what?” Hana asked about the sloppy joe.

“Seasoned ground beef with onions, tomato sauce, and whatever else you feel like throwing in there,” Drake explained.

“You had me at ‘not fish.’” Maxwell said, already biting into his ribs.

Hana took in the smear of sauce already on Maxwell’s face, “It looks messy . . . but intriguing.”

Riley finally weighed in, “Drake, I love sloppy joes! They were basically all I ate through middle school.” She grabbed a plate and started picking out her favorites.

“Thank you, Brooks. Somebody else around here can appreciate a simple dish.”

“It does seem a little strange to have such casual food here,” Hana said, picking up whatever Riley picked.

“Liam thought Brooks would appreciate it. A little taste of home,” Drake told them.

Riley was shocked. That didn’t sound right. This spread screamed Drake, there was no way Liam had ever had a sloppy joe in his life. Not to mention how proudly he had shared it with them.

“This was his idea?” she asked, almost accusingly at Drake.

Drake blushed and studied the food a second and smiled sheepishly at her, “Mostly. From a purely selfish angle, I’m not exactly a caviar and oysters kind of guy, so . . .”

“Got it,” Riley said, nodding back. So, Liam might have had the idea, but the execution of it was Drake. That made sense, although she wasn’t sure what to do with that information. Maybe Liam was trying to be a little more subtle about his advances. It was very thoughtful . . . but she already knew that Liam was thoughtful and kind and that he put others’ comfort before his own. She appreciated the gesture, but it couldn’t change how she felt.

“Anyway, let’s dig in. I love a good barbecue. Reminds me of cookouts on the lawn or summers with family . . . “

“Aww, Drake, that’s actually kind of sweet,” Riley said moving closer to him.

Drake suppressed a smile and tried to give her a level look, even though Riley could see something else in his eyes, “It is not. Now, would you rather talk or would you rather eat?”

“Let’s eat! I’m starving!” Riley knew there was no point in trying to get him to talk about summers with his family with Maxwell and Hana around. Riley wondered for the first time about Drake’s mom. She knew his dad had died and his sister was missing, but what about his mom? He never talked about her other than in the context of his childhood. Well, those were questions for another, more serious day.

Riley grabbed her napkins and followed the group to a spot on the beach that Maxwell had declared was the best spot.

“See, it’s mostly in the sun, but that tree will start giving shade in about an hour. And it is the perfect distance between the water and the food table.”

“Well, who are we to argue with a beach party master?” Riley teased.

“That’s right. Thank you for recognizing my particular brand of genius.”

Once they had settled onto towels, Hana looked at the plate in front of her. “So . . .how does one eat a ‘sloppy joe’? Utensils or hands?”

“It’s your choice,” Drake answered.

“There’s no protocol? How are you supposed to elegantly eat at social gatherings?”

“It’s a sloppy joe. There’s not going to be anything elegant about this.” Drake almost looked offended.

“Oh my . . .”

Maxwell nudged Hana, “You just have to stop caring what everyone thinks, Hana. Like this.” Maxwell devoured his sloppy joe in about four bites and moved on to the pulled pork.

“Now you’re getting it,” Drake said appreciatively.

“I think my parents would murder me if they saw me doing that,” Hana said, still unable to touch the food. Carefully she tried using a fork and knife to try the food. “Oh, this is delicious.” Riley and Drake burst out laughing at her surprise.

Maxwell had almost finished his entire plate, “Mmmm, rich, tangy, sweet . . . and soooooo good!”

“I accept tokens of appreciation in cash, credit, or check.”

Riley noticed that, try as she might, Hana had still managed to get BBQ sauce on herself.

“You, uh, you’re looking pretty saucy there, Hana. . .”

Hana’s hand flew to her face, smearing the sauce across her cheek. “Ohmygosh!”

Riley just laughed and handed her another napkin, “Hana, don’t worry. Barbecue sauce is a good look for you.”

“This may not be quite as embarrassing as the time I accidentally applied blush instead of powder to half my face.”

“Hey, according to Drake, getting messy is half the point!” Maxwell said, polishing off the last of his seconds.

“Exactly,” Drake confirmed.

“Well, Maxwell, it looks like a sauce container exploded on you, so mission accomplished,” Riley laughed, throwing a pile of napkins in his direction.

As Hana and Maxwell traded stories of dinner etiquette lessons, Riley enjoyed the sound of the waves. It reminded her of her favorite beach back in New York that she had taken Liam’s bachelor party to, and of summers spent in college at the Jersey shore. For the first time in weeks, Riley felt able to relax and be herself. No courtly lessons, no press conferences, just enjoying a day at the beach with her friends.

When all the food was gone, they surveyed the damage.

Maxwell nodded in thanks to Drake, “Again, that was soooooo good.”

Hana giggled. “I’ll have to ask the chefs back home to add barbecue chicken to the rotation.”

“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m ready to enjoy the water,” Drake said, cleaning up the empty plates.

“I’m ready to stretch out like a beached whale,” Maxwell said. Riley shot a glance at him. It was unlike Maxwell to turn down any suggestion of fun.

“Suit yourself,” Drake said, apparently unfazed. “You coming with me, Brooks? Hana?”

“Hang on,” Hana said. “We need to put on sunscreen before we go.”

“Do we really?” Drake asked, apparently annoyed at the suggestion.

Hana smiled slyly at Riley. Ah, Hana was providing her an opportunity. Riley knew that Hana was smart, but she hadn’t expected Hana to be such a clever wingwoman.

“I would love some sunscreen,” Riley said.

“Luckily, I brought enough for everyone,” Hana said, tossing Riley a bottle. Hana pulled off her dress, revealing her bikini and asked Maxwell to help her with her back. Drake reluctantly stayed back and removed his shirt. Riley had to will herself to not openly stare and had to check to make sure she wasn't drooling. He really was gorgeous and those denim shirts were NOT doing him justice. Well, Hana had given her this opportunity, best not to waste it.

Riley sauntered over to Drake, unable to keep the smile off her face as her eyes swept his perfectly toned body. “Here, I’ll do you.”

She saw Drake swallow, eyes locked on hers. “This really doesn’t seem necessary.”

“Sun safety is no joke,” Riley said seriously. She forced him to turn around and started working the sunscreen into his shoulders and worked her way down his muscled back. Drake inhaled sharply as her hand began to work, and he never quite let go of that tension. She took her time, enjoying the feel of him. Wow, Drake is really in great shape. She resisted the urge to wrap her arms around him and press her body into his.

The second she reached his lower back and brushed against the waistband of his swim trunks, he stepped away and turned back to face her. “Is the lady satisfied?”

Riley couldn’t resist stepping close to him again, she was sure he could see the heat on her cheeks, but didn’t even care. “Put some on your face, or you’ll burn there,” she purred, offering him the bottle. He quickly rubbed some on his face.

He looked down at her, still standing right in front of him. “Then you probably want me to put some on your back.”

“Actually, yes, I do.” Riley whipped off her coverup, and turned slowly, making sure he got an eyeful as she smoothly moved her long hair out of the way.

Drake took a shaky breath, “You’re killing me, Brooks.” There it was, at least a small admission that he wanted her. Riley had to clench her jaw shut to suppress a moan as Drake’s strong hands massaged the sunscreen into her back. She allowed herself to melt into the feeling of his hands running the length of her body and felt the heat rise between them. Riley had to remind herself that they were on a public beach with half the court present.

Just when it was almost too much for both of them, Hana walked up, “Ready to go?”

Drake stepped back suddenly, and Riley immediately missed the feeling of his hands on her. “More than ready,” Drake said, blushing and handing Hana the bottle of sunscreen. “I hope you’re not wearing your swimsuit for nothing, Brooks. Who’s joining me?” Drake took off for the water, and Riley had a suspicion as to why he was so eager to get into the cold water.

“Me!” Hana called after him. “How did I do?” She asked Riley.

Riley laughed, “You did good Hana. You did good.”

“Oh good! I wasn’t sure you would catch on, but . . .”

“Oh Hana, you were the perfect wingwoman.”

“Wing . . .woman?”

“Yeah, your best girlfriend who helps you get the attention of a guy you like or avoid creeps. See, you’re even good at things when you don’t know what they are! Now, let’s do this!”

Riley and Hana ran down the beach to the water to find Drake. “Wooooo!” Riley yelled as her feet hit the water.

“It’s colder than I thought,” Hana gasped.

“You just need to adjust. Here, let me help,” Drake said, splashing a wave of ocean water into her face.”

“That was a cheap shot,” Hana said, splashing back.

“Now we’re talking,” Drake smiled, targeting Riley next, but not quite reaching her.

“He’s declaring war,” Hana said, grinning at Riley.

“It was a warning shot,” Drake retorted, eyeing Riley. He knew her well enough at this point to know that she couldn’t resist competition.

Riley sent as big a splash as she could manage, which hit him square in the face.

“Get him!” Hana cheered. Riley and Hana flanked Drake, sending water crashing into him from two sides.

“Ok,” he coughed, “I get it.”

“Don’t mess with these water cannons,” she grinned at him.

“While we’re having competitions, let’s race, Brooks.”

“You’re a glutton for punishment today.”

“We’ll see how scary you are without Hana helping you out.”

“Alright. You’re on. I guess it’s only fair to warn you that I used to swim competitively.”

“What’re the stakes?”

“We’ll let Hana pick the prize.”

“I’ll be the judge,” Hana declared and took a spot close to the rocks.

“We’ll swim to the far end of the beach and back to these rocks,” Drake said, pointing out the landmarks.

“Agreed.” Riley and Drake lined up next to the rocks.

“Ready, set . . . channel your inner mermaid!” Hana shouted.

Riley and Drake both dove into the water. Drake had the advantage of height and strength, so Riley knew she would probably have to cheat to win. Drake swam out in front of her, but she kept an even pace behind him. At the far end of the beach, just before he turned to swim back, she reached out and grabbed his foot. It was enough to distract him for a moment, and Riley made her turn and started swimming back to the rocks, now in the lead. “Hey! What was that?”

“Seaweed?” Riley asked innocently.

Of course, it didn’t take much for Drake to catch up to her and soon they were swimming neck and neck.

“I hope you’re ready to lose, Drake!” Riley’s muscles were starting to burn. It was much more difficult swimming in the ocean than a pool, but she had also been trained to keep a reserve of strength. She dug down for that last push and unleashed all the competitiveness she had in her. She saw Drake slowing down and Riley pushed through to the finish line.

“Riley wins!” Hana declared.

“Yes!”

Drake . . . did not look happy. “I thought I had it.”

Hana continued, “Riley, in celebration of your victory, I want to give you something.”

“Is it a treasure chest?”

“You’ll have to wait and see.”

Hana ducked under the water and returned with a beautiful shell in pristine condition.”

“Wow,” Riley said turning it over in her hand. “How did you find this?”

“I saw it sitting at the bottom while you were racing. They’re quite common in the area.”

“It’s so pretty.”

“How come I don’t get anything,” Drake asked.

Riley smiled sweetly at him, “Should’ve swam faster.”

“Oh, I know,” said Hana, disappearing under the waves again. She surfaced again and handed Drake a sand dollar, still purple. “For you.”

Drake looked up at Hana, “What am I supposed to do with this?”

“You should let it go,” Riley said.

Drake dropped it back into the water, “Stupid . . .sand dollar thing.”

“I’m starting to feel cold, so I think it’s time for some sunbathing,” Hana said.

“Yeah. I’m feeling pretty done here myself,” Drake added. Riley ran to catch up to Drake.

“Don’t tell me you’re upset about losing the race.”

“Yeah, well, you’re a cheater, Brooks.”

“Can’t believe you lost to a girl? You’re a cocky bastard.”

“So are you,” he retorted.

She burst out laughing. “Yeah, that’s true.”

“I’m not really mad Brooks. A man’s gotta have his pride though.”

“It was nice to get into the water for a bit though.”

“It was,” Drake said with a small sideways smile. “I need to clean up the rest of the barbecue. See you later?”

“Yeah, sure.” Riley watched his retreating form and felt the butterflies in stomach start to flutter again.

Riley looked around and found Maxwell sitting on the beach, still wearing his jeans and black dress shirt and expensive shoes. She put her coverup back on and made a spot for herself next to him. “You seem a little overdressed for the beach.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t you want to take off your shirt?”

“No can do. Can’t risk burning up. No SPF in the world is strong enough to protect me.”

Riley somehow doubted this. Her skin was more fair than his, but Maxwell wasn’t shy or secretive about many things, so she went with it. “Well, sun safety is important.”

“More like Bertrand would be mortified if I were to appear at royal functions beet-red.”

“Does Bertrand ruin everything for you?”

“Just most things. But I’m having fun now that you’re here. Are you having a good time?”

“It’s nice to take a break from competing for the Prince. I don’t think I’ve gotten too much down time since we got here. It’s been a whirlwind of balls and events. . . This is nice.”

“It’s good to rest up. Although . . . I do see another opportunity for you. Look over there. . .” Riley could see Penelope by the appetizers alone. She looked sad and Riley thought she saw her wipe away some tears. “Looks like she’s having a hard day.”

“Yeah, poor Penelope.”

“This could be your big chance to get her on your side! Remember, competitors or not, you’re going to need the court to think well of you if you’re going to be the next queen. So, get over there and charm her!” Riley got up and made her way over to Penelope.

“Hello, Penelope.”

“Oh, it’s you.”

“Penelope, is that any way to greet a friend?”

Penelope looked startled, “We’re not friends . . . er . . . are we?”

“Perhaps not technically, but I’d like to be friends. It seems like you’re having a difficult time today.”

“I suppose it’s obvious, isn’t it? I got terribly seasick from the Regatta, and now, I’ll be stuck here on this beach in the sun for hours. My advisors said I only needed to look pretty at the balls and flirt with the Prince. But it hasn’t gone that way at all. Between you, Olivia, and Madeline, I don’t have any chance at all. What’s the point of even staying here?”

Riley had had similar thoughts, but for the opposite reason. If she didn’t want to marry Liam, what was the point of staying and putting herself through all this. But she had found friends, and . . . whatever Drake was to her at this point, and that made it all worth staying. She hadn’t been lying when she told Drake that more of her life was here than in New York now. Maybe Penelope needed a bit of that perspective.

“Penelope, there’s more to this than just the Prince.”

“Huh? Like what?”

“Like forming friendships and bonds with the other women here . . .”

Penelope looked at Riley cautiously, “I don’t know . . .”

“Even though we’re competing now it won’t always be that way. One of us will marry the Prince, and then it’s over . . We should at least try to get something more out of it, don’t you think?”

“That sounds right . . . but I,” Penelope’s eyes went wide and she dropped her plate. “Eek! Oh my goodness, help! Something is attacking me!” Riley looked down to see a small sand crab latched onto Penelope’s ankle. Riley reached down and gently opened the claw, setting Penelope’s foot free.

“Come here, little guy . . .” Riley walked a short distance away and let it go.

“Riley, that was amazing! You saved me!”

“Hey, you just survived being attacked by a vicious sand crab. Maybe you’re tougher than you think.”

Penelope offered Riley a small smile, “Maybe. But I’m not going to win the Prince’s heart. I’m going to leave here a failure.”

Riley shook her head. She would never get used to a world in which beautiful, capable women only saw themselves in terms of their ability to get a husband. She had seen how worthless husbands could be and had been raised by two amazing women. “Hardly. You can still use your time here to your best advantage.”

“And what’s that?”

“By making allies. Help me get the court to see me favorably, and when I’m queen, I’ll remember that you were there for me.”

“I suppose I could put in a good word for you here and there.”

“Thank you!”

Penelope left after that and Riley noticed Liam walking her direction.

“Riley, there you are,” he said. He was smiling at her with the Liam smile, and not the Prince smile. It was refreshing.

“Looking for me?”

“Yeah. I brought you a drink . . It’s hot out, so I thought you’d like something refreshing.”

Riley sipped the mint lemonade. “Mmmm, perfect. Tart and sugary.”

“Just like you.”

Riley raised an eyebrow. “I’m ‘tart’?”

“In a way. You certainly have an interesting way of letting your opinions be known.”

“Uh-huh. Not hearing the compliment yet.”

Liam actually looked flustered for a second, “. . . And you’re incredibly sweet?”

So . . . Liam would be willing to overlook her New York honesty. Would the rest of the court? Riley felt a wave of relief that there might be a barrier to Liam’s choosing her.

“Aww, thanks . . . Now, I can’t believe you’d come all the way to see me just to give me a drink . . .”

“What if I did? It’s all part of the royal service.”

“Oh really? What other services can I expect from the Crown Prince of Cordonia.” Riley meant it to be playful banter, but Liam blushed.

“Well . . . to be honest, I was looking for you because I wanted to take you somewhere. I know a special place called the Forgotten Falls. It’s a short hike from here, but it’s gorgeous.”

“Is it the next stop today?”

“Well, not for everyone. I used to go there often as a kid. It’s a really special place to me. I don’t want to share it with just anyone, but it would mean a lot to me to share it with you. I’d like to go there with you now, if you’re up for it. . .”

Riley thought for a moment. She didn’t want to imply anything more than friendship, but she did want to be friends with Liam. Would she have hesitated to go with Hana? Or Maxwell? Alright, a short hike to a beautiful waterfall. She could do that.

“Liam, I’d love to go to the Forgotten Falls with you.”

“I’m so glad you said that.”

Riley put down her drink and allowed Liam to lead her through some brush away from the beach. After a short hike, as promised, they came into a small clearing . . . with a gorgeous waterfall. The late afternoon sun lit everything up like gold, and Riley gasped.

“Here we are . . . the Forgotten Falls. Do you like it?”

“It’s amazing!”

“I knew you’d love it as much as I do.” Liam hesitated a moment. “There’s a legend about how this waterfall came to be. It’s said that hundreds of years ago, there were two lovers from warring clans. They were forbidden from being together, but they would meet here, at this hidden cove, and make their plans to run away together. When the day came for them to leave, they vowed to meet here at dawn. When dawn came, the woman waited and waited, but her lover never appeared.

They say that he was caught by her people and killed. But she never had the heart to leave this spot. So she knelt on the cliffs and wept, and her tears became the waterfall, until that’s all that was left of her.”

“That’s a sad story.”

“Tell me, Riley, what would you have done if you were the woman in the story.”

“If I were the woman in the story, I would’ve gotten revenge. Believe me, it would’ve gone a little differently than just a bunch of weeping.”

Liam looked a bit shocked, “I certainly wouldn’t want to be on your bad side. There’s one silver lining to this story.”

“Oh?”

“It’s said that if two lovers climb to the top of the waterfall and jump in together, they’ll get the blessing of the lady of the waterfall.”

Oh. Riley took a moment to look up at the waterfall and then back at Liam, who was gazing at her hopefully. “Is this your way of telling me you think we should be lovers?”

“I didn’t think . . .I mean, I wasn’t trying to . . .”

“So you don’t ever think about it? Because the invitation to your Lythikos suite said otherwise.”

“I didn’t say that. I’m only human Riley.” Then with a smile, “Besides, would it be presumptuous of me to guess that you’ve had similar thoughts?”

Yes Liam. Yes, it would be presumptuous. It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought about it all, but for weeks now, he heart and mind had been so full of Drake, there hadn’t been room for much else. Liam pulled off his shirt and dropped it on the ground. He really was a beautiful man.

“Are you ready? It seems like you’re already dressed for the occasion. Now we climb!”

“Up the cliff face?”

“There’s not exactly an elevator way out here. Are you up for it?”

“Race you to the top! Ready, set, go!” She scambled up the side of the cliff, grabbing vines and finding footholds.

“Hey, wait up!”

“If you want me, you’ve got to catch me!”

And he did. Just as Riley reached the top, Liam tackled her from behind, they rolled over, until Liam ended up on top, pinning her down.

“Got you.”

If Riley really had romantic feelings for Liam, it would have been an incredibly romantic moment. As it was, there was an incredibly attractive man, leaning over her next to a beautiful waterfall, and as Liam had said himself, she was only human. But the butterflies didn’t come anymore, and she longed for it to be Drake who had brought her here. Thinking of Drake made her smile. And then she said what she imagined Drake would have said, “I still won the race.”

“I’ll gladly admit defeat to you, Riley Brooks.” Liam stood and helped her up. “Ready to jump?”

Riley looked over the edge of the waterfall. “I didn’t realize how high up we are!”

“It’s better if you don’t think about that right now. Hold my hand.” She did. “I think some would call this a leap of faith. On three? One . . .two . . .”

Riley jumped, tackling Liam into the water below. “Three!” The shock of cold water came and then Riley swam to the surface. Liam surfaced nearby.

“You never cease to surprise me,” he said, smiling at her. They stayed in the pool floating for a few minutes. Then, Liam reached out and brushed his hand against Riley’s. She froze. No matter how she tried to avoid the romantic moments he tried to create between them, he didn’t see her reluctance. She was a decent actress, but she didn’t want to have to act. She genuinely wanted to be his friend and she could see that he needed someone like her. But if he couldn’t see her with anything other than heart eyes, it would never work.

“Thank you,” he said.

“For what?”

“For coming here with me. For actually getting to know me. For . . . for caring about me, Riley. I’ve never had anyone in my life like you. I now that I have you . . . I never want to lose you.”

Riley sighed internally. She had been exactly right. He needed her, but she couldn’t give him what he thought he wanted from her. And truthfully, he had not gotten to know her. He wouldn’t be able to until he stopped looking for just romance. So, she splashed him instead. “Don’t get all sappy on me, Liam.” She sent a few more splashes of water in his direction.

“Hey! Don’t think that just because you’re a lady, I won’t fight back.”

“On the contrary . . . I expect it!” Then Liam sent a huge stream of water straight at Riley. They laughed and splashed, just as she had earlier with Hana and Drake.

The tension between them dissipated until he caught her wrist, ready to send another wave of water his direction. He looked down into her eyes and smiled. “At least I take it that you’re having fun.”

“Of course I am.”

“I love to see you smile. I’ve been worried that being here would be hard on you.”

“Liam, I’m the kind of girl who can take care of herself. I would’ve thought you’d know that by now.” And that’s why they would never work together. He wanted a princess to save and take care of and that was never going to be her.

Liam sighed, “You’re right. I’m usually a quicker study, I promise. I just . . . I care about you. More than you know . . . and definitely more than I should.” He took her hands and gazed intently into her eyes, searching for acknowledgement that she felt the same. Riley felt her heart race as she suddenly became nervous. Should she tell him everything? What would happen if she was honest about how she felt?

“Riley . . .”

Riley pulled him into a hug and rested her head on his chest. She couldn’t give him what he wanted from her, but she was going to be what he needed from her. When she pulled back, she could still see the desire in his eyes, but there was something more there.

“We haven’t known each other very long, but every moment I spend with you, I can’t help but feel . . . . Riley, I think . . .I’m in l-”

Suddenly a fox chasing a bird exploded through the bushes, blessedly breaking the moment. A string of curse words ran through Riley’s head. How could she possibly think that a hike alone with Liam to a secluded romantic spot would be anything other than . . . romantic. But he was about to say he loved her! It was ridiculous! He didn’t even know her!

“Er. . . you were saying?”

Liam looked away, “Nevermind. It was nothing.” Riley tried to hide the relief she felt. “I suppose we should head back.”

“Yeah. We’ve been gone long enough that people will be starting to look for us.”

“No matter how much time we have together, Riley, it’s just never enough, is it?”

“Not by a long shot.”

They made it back to the beach just as the sun finished setting. “I had a good time, Riley . . .I find myself reluctant to leave you.”

“Maybe we can just take a little while longer.”

“Liam!” they head from the other side of the beach. King Constantine approached them.

“Father. You’re on the beach!”

“I have been known to leave the palace to grace our shores from time to time.”

“I just mean we rarely get the honor of your presence at the beach party after the Regatta.”

“You have me there, but today, I thought it might be warranted. I’m sure you heard my announcement earlier about my, ah, retirement.”

“I did.”

Riley realized that this was definitely not a conversation she belonged in and shifted uncomfortably. The King continued, “I feel I owe you an explanation. Lady Riley, please pardon us, but I’d like to have a moment alone with my son.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

“I’ll find you later, Lady Riley.” Riley curtsied and hurried away. She found Maxwell waiting by the limo with a knowing smile on his face.

“How did your date with the Prince go?”

Riley sighed, “Can we talk about it later. I’m really tired.” Maxwell’s face fell slightly. Riley smiled at him to reassure him and climbed into the limo to find . . . Bertrand. She hadn’t seen him since the morning and so little in the last couple weeks, she almost forgot about him.

Maxwell got in behind her, “Look who finally made it.”

Bertrand glared at Maxwell, “I’m sure my absence was absolutely heart-wrenching for you.”

“Aren’t you sad you missed out, Bertrand?”

“Roasting in the sun while watching little boats go by is hardly what I’d consider stimulating. In fact, I wouldn’t even be here right now if I thought Maxwell could handle this on his own.”

“I can handle it. . . probably . . .” Maxwell said softly.

“Between forgetting to teach her the Cordonian Waltz and not warning her that she’d need swim attire, I’m starting to wonder if I can trust you with even the simplest tasks!”

“How’d you know about the swimsuit thing?”

“I have my ways. And I’ll be keeping a closer eye on Riley, even if it means neglecting our estate. So clear your calendars. . . we need to prepare for the next event.”

“Can’t we at least take tonight off? It’s been a long day . . . we deserve some rest!”

“You can rest when Riley is crowned Queen of Cordonia . . . and from where we’re standing, that’s not going to be anytime soon.”

“Right, sorry. What I meant was tonight I want to stay up all night to train and prepare Riley for the next event!”

“I’m glad we’re in agreement. Now . . . Lady Riley, we’ll be preparing you for . . . the Apple Blossom Festival!”

Riley pushed down her anger at Bertrand’s belittling of Maxwell, who really had been there for her every step of the way. She swallowed her irritation at both of them for talking about her like she wasn’t there. From where she was standing, she wouldn’t ever be crowned Queen of Cordonia, so the sooner she got this all over with, the better. Riley smiled, “Great! What’s that?”

Maxwell sat up a little straighter, “It’s kind of what it sounds like. I hope you like apples . . . because this festival’s got a lot of them!”

On the way back to the palace, Bertrand laid out his plans for the next three weeks which would consist of daily lessons in etiquette, Cordonian history, dancing, and strategy for winning the title of Apple Queen.

When Bertrand finally let her go to bed, she looked at her phone. No text from Drake yet. She started a text to Maxwell. After erasing it and restarting three times:

_Riley: Maxwell, I really don’t think I can do this. Can we talk?_

She let it sit there a moment, still an unsent message. Riley knew Maxwell was counting on her to win this stupid competition and marry Liam, but every day that went by made her more certain that she did not want to. Her feelings for Drake were part of it, but she also knew that she did not want to be queen. How could she marry a man she didn’t love AND live a life she didn’t want. She thought that she might be able to do it if the problem were just one of those things. She could sacrifice her life and freedom in service of Cordonia if she truly loved Liam. Or she could sacrifice a chance at real love if she wanted to be queen. However, she could not bring herself to do both.

Just then, a message appeared briefly at the top of her screen.

_Drake: G’night Brooks._

Liam might think he loved her, but Riley knew he really didn't. She was also sure Drake did love her, even if he didn’t think so. What a crazy mess. She smiled and texted back.

_Riley: I’m tired tonight, but I could really use another late night whiskey session. Soon?_

_Drake: Like I said, anytime. You say the word._

_Riley: Tomorrow then. Goodnight Drake._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly canon, but there are a few original scenes sprinkled throughout, along with Riley's though process. Sorry it's soooooo long. This, like Lythikos, was another chapter that seems to point toward Hana being aware of what's going on between Riley and Drake even in canon. I really like the idea of her being Team Drake and helping Riley through all of it.
> 
> Also, for now, I'll be publishing on M/W/F


	14. A Bar, A Beach, and a Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the weeks between the Regatta and the Apple Blossom Festival, Drake and Riley get closer. Riley continues to struggle with the idea of what being queen would mean and starts to feel trapped. Drake takes Riley on a late night excursion and comes to a big realization. Drake tries to avoid celebrating his 28th birthday.

The last three weeks had stretched out through hot summer days. For a brief time, Drake thought it started to feel like all the summers before. With the long break between the Regatta and the Apple Blossom Festival, some of the court had returned to their estates to take care of business. Others remained, but were less visible. His group of . . . friends . . . remained, but Riley and Maxwell were practically held hostage by Bertrand and Hana seemed to have her own business to attend to. Liam was almost always in constant meetings, which left Drake pretty much on his own.

Drake wasn’t sure why he felt the loneliness so much more this year compared to others. He had always preferred being alone, but ever since _she_ showed up, it wasn’t the same. The whole group still spent time together on occasional evenings drinking, playing cards or other game, or trying different foods together. Hana, it turned out, was a great pastry chef and would always bake something. He made a mental note to ask her to teach him some things. Drake grilled something for them a couple of times. Riley still found ways to spend time alone with him too, usually late at night with a bottle of whiskey. Drake wondered jealously if she did that with everyone or just him.

Liam had told him, in excruciating detail about the trip to Forgotten Falls. It was all Drake could do to control himself and not punch his best friend in the face. Then when he said he’d almost told Riley that he loved her, Drake almost lost it. Especially since from what Drake could tell, Liam didn’t really understand Riley at all. But Drake nodded and encouraged. What else could he do? After all, Riley was here for Liam, not him. And if Liam loved her, that meant she was off-limits completely.

Sometime at the end of July, he had sent Riley her regular goodnight text.

_Drake: Night Brooks._

_Riley: Not tired yet. Take me somewhere?_

_Drake: We could meet in the courtyard for drinks._

_Riley: No, I want to go somewhere else. Away from the palace._

_Drake: dunno if that’s a good idea Brooks_

_Riley: idgaf_

He laughed. If Liam knew about precious “Lady Riley’s” mouth, would he still want to make her queen?

_Riley: please_

_Drake: fine, I’ll come get you_

_Riley: Yay!_

What did he just agree to? The thousand reasons this was a terrible idea came flooding into Drake’s mind. What are you doing, Walker? You CANNOT take Liam’s girl out anywhere. He almost texted her back and told her to go to bed, but also realized he didn’t want to. He _wanted_ to take her somewhere, away from the palace. Maybe forever. 

Too late to back out now. He changed his shirt . . . for . . . reasons, and walked through the quiet palace to Riley’s room. Why did he suddenly feel like a teenager going on a first date? He was just . . . hanging out with a friend. He knocked quietly on the door, not wanting to draw attention. Riley opened the door, wearing the same outfit she wore at the bachelor party. 

“Hey,” she said, smiling at him.

His entire body was screaming at him to scoop her up in his arms and take her back to his room, but he managed to suppress that as well. All he could manage to choke out was, “Wow.”

She chuckled softly, “That’s what you said last time I wore this. I expect better compliments from here on out.”

“Sorry, that will have to do.”

“You could borrow Maxwell’s line.”

“Oh yeah, what did he say?”

“The waitress is hot!”

Drake rolled his eyes. “C’mon Brooks, I thought you wanted to get out of this place.”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

He led her through the most deserted hallways and out through a back entrance to his truck.

“Alright,” she said climbing in. “Where are we going?”

“I don’t know, this was your idea, remember?”

“But I don’t know Cordonia, you do. Take me somewhere you would go to get away from the palace. Somewhere normal people go. Like a bar!”

“You’ll have to be careful, you know.”

“In a bar? I’ve spent a lot of time in bars, we met in a bar. I promise I won’t get drunk and make you carry me back.”

“I mean, being seen. Maybe you don’t realize it, but you’re famous. Everyone in Cordonia knows who you are.”

“They do?”

“Yeah, what do you think happens after all these press events? They get aired on tv or printed in magazines and tabloids.”

“So, is there a place I won’t be recognized?”

“Probably not, but I can probably think of a few places where people won’t care much. I’m just letting you know to be careful.”

“So, still pretending to be a future queen. Got it.” Riley slumped in her seat.

Drake watched her from the corner of his eye and could tell she was disappointed. “Why do you want to get out of the palace anyway. Whatever you want, someone will make it happen.”

“Not if what I want is to stop pretending to be Lady Riley for an hour or two and just be myself.”

“You know you don’t have to do all that pretend princess shit with me, right?”

“I know.” Riley leaned against him and they stayed like that for the rest of the drive. Drake realized he had never felt this comfortable around a girl before. He’d had a few girlfriends, but never anything serious and he had never let anyone, except maybe his sister and Liam, into his world as much as he had Riley. Why was it so easy with her? It always just seemed like she had always been there. She moved to adjust the radio.

“No way, don’t touch it?”

“Why not? This station is on a commercial.”

“Because you have terrible taste in music, Brooks. Good taste in drinks, terrible taste in music.”

“You know it’s called ‘pop’ because it’s popular, right? Sounds to me like most people agree with me.”

“Yeah, well, most people have shitty taste in music AND drinks. You’re one up on them, so I tolerate you.”

“Oh you tolerate me? I’m calling bullshit on that one.”

“Oh yeah? What part?”

“You _like_ hanging out with me. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t. You’d be back in your fancy room at the fancy palace, alone with a bottle of whiskey.”

He parked next to a dive bar on the outskirts of the capital city. “You got me there, Brooks,” Drake said with a grin and hopped out of the truck. She slipped her hand easily and naturally into his, just like it belonged there, and they walked inside.

A familiar face greeted him, “Drake! We haven’t seen you in awhile. And you never bring a girl _with_ you. Oh shit, Walker, she’s . . .”

Drake dropped Riley’s hand and walked closer to Antonio and lowered his voice, “Yes, and the Prince asked me to look out for her. Now, I know most people here don’t care about royal business, but do you think you can keep people away from us?” Drake handed him €20.

“I’ll do my best for my buddy Drake.”

Drake saw Riley looking around happily, noticeably relaxed. He did a visual sweep, so far they hadn’t attracted any attention, so he grabbed her hand and led her to a booth in a corner that was harder to see into than others. Then he went to the bar and ordered drinks.

When he got back to the booth, Riley’s mood had significantly improved. “This is perfect Drake, thank you for bringing me.”

“Well, I can’t seem to say no to you, so here we are. Glad you like it.”

“So, do you bring all your dates here? Or do you show off and bring them back to the palace?”

Drake nearly choked on his whiskey. “Er, what? I don’t . . this is not . . .”

Riley laughed, “Relax Drake, I’m just asking.”

“My dating life is not up for discussion tonight.”

“What is up for discussion then?”

“How about why you wanted to get away from the palace so bad?”

Riley groaned. “I can’t take it. Bertrand has me studying eight or nine hours a day. Do you know Cordonian history goes back almost twelve hundred years? I’m American, we only have two hundred and fifty years of history to learn! And I usually _like_ history. I’ve had to bake an apple pie every single day, but, get this . . . I’m not allowed to eat any of them.”

“What? Why not? And where are these pies? Why haven’t I been invited for taste testing.”

“Oooo, good idea. I’ll text you tomorrow. Hana’s been helping me, so I’m sure they’re delicious.”

“Why aren’t you allowed to try them?”

“I don’t know, Bertrand won’t tell me. Maybe he’s worried I’ll get fat and Liam won’t want me anymore.”

Drake’s eyes swept over her again. “I don’t think you have to worry about that Brooks.”

A blush rose on her cheeks. “So, um, did Liam tell you about our hike to Forgotten Falls?”

“ . . . Yeah, I guess.” In far more detail than he wanted. The only saving grace in that was that Liam hadn’t kissed her.

“Should I just assume that every conversation I have with him gets relayed to you?”

“He _is_ my best friend.”

“Well, I won’t put you in the middle of that then.” Suddenly Drake was very curious about her take on the hike to Forgotten Falls. Liam had made it sound romantic and perfect. Yet, Riley was bringing it up as something she had to mentally work through and he didn’t think she wanted to talk with him about romantic things with Liam - they were not that kind of friends.

“I actually did have something I wanted to ask you about though.”

“What’s that?” he asked.

“You . . . like horses right.”

He smiled brightly, “Yeah, actually, you could say that.” Drake actually loved horses. One of the best parts of living at the palace was the chance to help out in the stables whenever he wanted.

“Bertrand has been talking about some riding events at the Apple Blossom Festival . . . but I’ve never ridden a horse before.”

“Ok?”

“Drake, don’t be an asshole! I’m asking you to teach me to ride a horse.”

Now there’s a scene straight out of his fantasies. In fact, he was surprised he hadn’t thought about it sooner. “I dunno Brooks. City girls and horses don’t usually get along.”

“Are you trying to get me to beg? Because I will. I will make a giant scene right here and beg for you to teach me how to ride a horse. In fact, I’ll perform a whole monologue about it.”

“No need for that,” he sipped his whiskey, hiding a smile behind his glass. “I’ll teach you. But not until we get to Applewood.”

“Okay! It’s a date!”

“Please stop using that word.”

A sly smile spread across Riley’s face, “ _Alright_ , it’s a date.”

Drake shook his head, “Killing me, Brooks.” This girl . . . 

For another hour they talked about her lessons, what would happen at the Apple Blossom Festival and she even dragged another story about his family out of him.

“Tell me about your summer barbecues.”

“Well, at the palace, we always ate with the staff, so whenever we took trips out to the country, my parents would actually cook for us. Usually brisket, but sometimes chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers, fish my dad and I caught. It was nice.”

“Interesting. Sounds very . . . American. Why’s that?”

He shrugged, not wanting to reveal the American side of himself yet, and he really didn’t want to talk about his mom. “Cordonians like barbecue too. Especially if you’re out camping.”

“Did you get to go often? Or just in the summer?”

“The King’s Guard doesn’t get a lot of vacation time, so Dad usually asked for the first week in July.” It was so they could celebrate the 4th of July for his mom.

“So, is that why you went camping at the beginning of July this year?”

Drake hadn’t ever done it consciously, but yeah, he always went camping the first week of July, just like he had growing up. It was just . . . part of the rhythm of the year. “Yeah, I guess that’s why . . .”

“So, camping, fishing, sailing, horses . . . you’re the outdoorsy type then.”

“Heh. I guess you could say that. I’d pretty much always choose to be outside rather than in.” From the corner of his eye, Drake noticed that a few people were trying to look into their booth. “Brooks, I think our time here is up.”

“What do you mean?”

“There are people trying to get a closer look at you. Antonio said he’d keep ‘em away, but . . . there’s only so much he can do. We better go.”

“Oh.”

Drake could tell she wasn’t quite ready to go back to the palace. “I got an idea though . . . if you’re not ready to go back yet.”

Riley’s eyes lit up and Drake’s stomach swooped again. “Okay!. 

As discreetly as possible, they left the bar and as far as Drake could tell, no one took any pictures or followed them. He would still check his sources tomorrow to make sure nothing about her leaked to the press. They got back in his truck.

“Wait,” Riley said as soon as he started it, “Is it safe for you to drive.”

He chuckled. “I only had one drink, and it was when we first got here.”

“Really?! How did I not notice that I was the only one drinking?” He just laughed more. “Alright, Mr. Designated Driver, where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

He drove them down to the coast. He was quite proud of himself for thinking of it actually. There was a little cove that reminded him of the one she had taken them to the night of the bachelor party in New York. Maybe it would be a little like a redo of that night, except this time he wouldn’t act like an asshole and she wouldn’t leave with Liam.

When they pulled up, Riley knew immediately what he was thinking. “Drake! It’s perfect! It’s so much like my beach spot in New York!”

“Yeah, I was thinking that place must have meant something to you if you brought us there instead of some club Maxwell wanted to go to.”

“It’s where I would go when I needed to clear my head.”

“Kind of like now.”

“Exactly like now. Thank you Drake. This . . . means more to me than you could know.”

They settled into the sand a reasonable distance from the quietly lapping waves. Riley shook her head. “It still feels so wrong for the beach to face the west. How do you watch the sunrise over the ocean?”

“We don’t. We watch sunsets instead.”

“Hmmm. Like in California.”

“Your dad’s in California, right?” He felt her stiffen slightly.

“Yep. He is.”

“How come you never talk about your dad?”

“How come you never talk about your mom?” she shot back.

“Touché. Alright Brooks, I’m not going to push you to talk about anything you don’t want to.” Riley relaxed.

“It’s not like it’s a big secret, I just . . . don’t know what to say about it. He left. He has a whole other life and family in California, one that I’m not a part of. One I wasn’t important enough to be a part of.”

Drake nodded. He’d had similar thoughts about his mom. Even if he understood her reasons for running back to Texas, it still hurt that she couldn’t seem to be bothered about him and Savannah and that whatever she was going through was more important than raising her kids through their teen years, right after they had lost their dad.

“So what’s really on your mind Brooks? Anything I can help you think through?”

“I don’t know,” she said looking at him carefully. “I’m not sure I can tell you all of it yet.”

“Whatever you want, Brooks. I’m here if you need me.”

“You really mean that, don’t you?”

“To my dying breath.” Somehow, that was true. The only other person he felt this much loyalty toward was Liam.

“Why do you text me goodnight every night?”

“Uh, you asked me to.”

“I asked you to once. You continued the tradition.”

Drake ran a hand through his hair and exhaled slowly. Why had he done it the second time? To feel close to her? To remind her he was there for her? It made him feel better knowing she was on the other end? “I guess. . . I just . . . want you to know I’m there. For you.”

“Mmmm. And was that because I asked you to or because Liam asked you to?”

“For you.”

“If I . . . wanted to leave all of this . . . get away from court, get out of the competition . . . would you help me?”

“Is that what you want Brooks?” His heart was hammering in his chest. He was equally afraid of her leaving and staying. There was no good outcome for him in this. Either she stays and marries Liam and he watches from a distance as he always had, or she leaves and he’d probably never see her again. He’d dealt with a lot of loss in his life, but Drake didn’t think he would survive losing her.

She sighed. “Not exactly. Not yet at least. I feel like there are too many people counting on me staying right now. And like I told you before, I don’t really have a life to go back to anywhere else. I just feel . . . trapped. It’s like a cage is closing around me and it might be my last chance to escape it.”

Wow. Drake took a moment to process everything she was saying. Was it possible that she didn’t want to be queen? It was probably because noble life was still new to her. Then he thought about Leo’s mother and how new she had been at court and how she had run off leaving King Constantine and Leo behind. Would history repeat itself? He didn’t think Riley would ever do that. No . . . she was trying to make that decision now, before it was too late. Whatever her decision though, it didn’t have anything to do with him. His role in all of this was to do what was best for Liam and for Riley.

Drake answered slowly and carefully, “Riley . . . if you decide to leave the competition because this is not the life you want, for any reason, I will help you. But if you see this through, marry Liam, become queen, all of that . . . then, I would have to take that offer off the table. Liam wouldn’t deserve that.”

“Oh I know. I would never do that to him.”

“Whatever you decide, there are a lot of people who will be affected. Make sure it’s what _you_ want.”

“Thanks Drake.” Riley slid closer to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. The contact was more friendly than romantic, but he wanted to pull her closer. He longed to tell her everything he had been feeling for weeks and ask if she felt the same. He wanted to give her a reason to leave the competition and stay with him, but he knew that wasn’t how this story played out. If she needed a friend, he could do that. Drake realized he would do that . . . because he loved her.

********************

Drake woke up on his 28th birthday at Applewood. He had arrived with Liam last night, avoiding mingling with the rest of the court, who would arrive today. He planned to stay away from the festivities for the day and meet up with Liam later. Since it was the opening day of the Apple Blossom Festival, there would be press and nobles everywhere. No thank you.

Peeking outside his window, he saw the noble ladies lining up for the apple tasting, but Riley was nowhere in sight. Had Maxwell forgotten to tell her? Should he text her? No, she said Bertrand was overseeing everything this week and he couldn’t imagine Bertrand letting her miss this. Then he saw a flash of dark hair as Riley appeared and squeezed between Olivia and Madeline. She looked amazing of course, but how would she do with the apples? He felt a little creepy just watching her, but . . . just until the apple tasting. . . All the ladies took their bites and he laughed to himself as he saw Hana have to physically hold her mouth closed so she wouldn’t spit it back out. But Riley . . . just smiled. He noticed a slight tightness around her eyes and watched her straighten herself a bit more than usual, but anyone who didn’t know her wouldn’t see a difference. Handled it like a champ!

Drake went ahead and got ready and made his way around the back of the estate. He knew Liam would be in the gardens, away from the crowd. He was honestly a little worried about Liam. For the past several weeks, he had been unusually somber, but kept telling Drake he was fine, as if Drake didn’t have more than twenty years experience in figuring out when Liam was _not_ fine.

Drake tried to make a beeline for the gazebo where he knew Liam would be waiting, but ran into Maxwell and Hana instead. 

“Drake! Happy . . . ah,” Maxwell’s eyes went wide and darted to Hana, “Apple Blossom . . . Day.”

“I didn’t see you at the festival Drake, were you there,” Hana asked, ever polite.

“No. I don’t usually make a habit of showing up to events with lots of press around. Especially not to try the worst of the apple harvest,” Drake answered.

“They really were awful,” Hana confided

“So no one warned you? It’s kind of . . . like a Cordonian hazing tradition.” 

“Heh,” Maxwell chucked. “I remember your first Cordonian Ruby, Drake.”

“What happened,” Hana asked.

“I, uh, spit it out and threw it across the orchard. Then I dove to take the one from my sister Savannah to save her from it.”

“Did you get it before she could taste it?”

“Yeah, but she insisted on trying it anyway. She was only three. Even then she was never good at listening to me.”

“Drake!” They all looked up to see Riley beaming and walking toward them.

“Why do you look so happy to see me?” he asked. Then he saw Liam coming up behind her. “Oh no. . . .god no. . .” Damn it Liam! Can’t keep even one secret!

“Yep!” Riley said, apparently delighted. “Happy birthday!”

“Liam, _you told her_?”

“My deepest apologies, Drake. I forgot that it was such a closely guarded secret.”

Forgot my ass! “It’s fine. It doesn’t matter, because this is the last we’re ever going to speak of it ever again”

“You don’t want to do something fun on your birthday?” Hana asked in surprise. “Even I was allowed petit fours and an hour playing with my father’s cat each year . . .” Wow, that was . . . the most depressing birthday story ever.

“Man, Drake, even Hana feels bad for you,” Maxwell added, eyeing him. 

Nope, nope, nope. Maxwell had party planning eyes going. He was not giving into this. And he wouldn’t have to as long as no one asked Riley . . . she always said yes to everything and Drake always said yes to her.

“I don’t need fun to enjoy myself. Besides what could you jokers possibly want to do that would be fun for me?”

Maxwell turned to Riley. Oh no, here it comes. “Are all Americans as fussy as Drake is about birthdays, Riley?”

Riley turned her eyes on Drake with a huge smile, “Drake’s an American?”

“Half. On my mother’s side.”

She nodded, putting the pieces together. “That gives me an idea,” She turned to Maxwell. “Do you have any American Western-themed bars here in Cordonia?”

“Checking on my phone now . . .” Maxwell said, well into party-Maxwell mode.

“How about that, Drake? Whiskey, mechanical bull riding, and some good ol’ American fun.” Yeah, that would do it, and would probably actually be fun. Riley had her eyes on him with a smug smile. She knew she had won.

“I guess it doesn’t sound horrible . . . but I can’t ask you guys to sneak out for that.”

“Nonsense. I’d love to,” Liam said with a grin. Drake shot him a dirty look.

“I’d also like to understand more of Riley’s American culture!” added Hana.

“And I’ll take any excuse to drink and dance the night away! Plus, I just found the perfect place!” Maxwell said, revealing his search results.

“I don’t know . . . Do you really want to do this, Riley?” He knew what the answer would be. . .

“I almost think we have to with that outfit she’s got on. . .” Drake’s eyes swept down from Riley’s face to take in her whole look. It was an incredibly sexy, off-the-shoulder dress and delicate looking heels. His pulse quickened and he blushed when his eyes returned to hers and she smiled at him with a satisfied smirk. Damn it! Get it under control Walker, Liam is _right there_.

“I say we’re going out tonight!” Riley cheered.

“Yes!” Maxwell cheered.

‘’I must go prepare!” Hana said with a look at Riley.

Drake couldn’t help but smile a little himself. He didn’t know when his circle of friends had expanded beyond Liam and occasionally Maxwell, but maybe hanging out with people on his birthday wouldn’t be so bad after all. “Yeah . . . something tells me this is going to be a night to remember."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Mostly original fluffy Drake/MC content. A little shorter than I planned, but I really wanted the actual birthday party from Riley's perspective, so here we are. Also, I hate Bianca, and I feel like there must be a good reason she doesn't even get mentioned until she shows up for the wedding other than Drake saying a few times that it was hard for her.
> 
> Thank you so much for the comments and Kudos, they make my day!


	15. We're Going Out Tonight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riley tries to figure out how to tell Drake how she feels during his birthday party.

Riley and Hana crashed onto Hana’s bed in a fit of giggles.

“Did you see the way he checked you out when I pointed out how great you look in that dress?” Hana asked.

Riley bit her lip. Oh, she had noticed. Any time Drake looked at her like that made her tingle all over. She was so grateful for Hana - for having a girlfriend to be silly and talk about guys with. It was the only thing that felt normal in this whole crazy adventure. Having a crush and a friend to gossip about it with was almost like her college days. Hana reassured her that it was obvious Drake liked her too, even if he’d never exactly said so, and that gave her the confidence to be bolder.

Riley sighed though. “It doesn’t matter, he’ll still never make a move. Not with Liam in the picture.”

“Is Liam in the picture?”

“Not as far as I’m concerned, but with the competition, Drake thinks he is. God! I just want to go back to that night in New York, skip the fucking Statue of Liberty and just tell Drake, ‘Hey, you’re pretty hot, let’s get out of here.’”

Hana giggled, the way she always did when Riley cursed. “Riley! Forwardness aside, if you’d done that, then Maxwell probably wouldn’t have brought you here.”

“You’re right. You know, none of them have ever asked how I feel about any of this. Not Maxwell or Bertrand, not Liam or Drake. They all just assume I’m madly in love with Liam and want to get married tomorrow. You’re the only one that has even asked what _ I _ want.”

“That’s what friends are for.”

“What about you? What do you want Hana?”

“Oh, me? I don’t . . . I mean . . . I’d be honored to be queen of Cordonia.”

“That’s not what I asked. Don’t give me the answer you’d give your parents.”

Hana sat quietly. “I don’t know Riley. What I want has never been the point. From the time I was a child, I knew what was expected of me, so I’ve never considered what I wanted long enough to even want things. Except a friend. I always wanted a friend. And now I have you.”

“Aww, Hana! I’m so grateful to have you here. I think I would have left Cordonia fifty times already if it weren’t for you.”

“Thanks Riley, I feel the same way! Should we get ready for your big night out?”

Riley laughed, “Yes, but it’s not  _ my _ night out.”

“It  _ could _ be. If you tell Drake how you feel.”

Riley thought about that for a minute. Maybe she hadn’t been direct enough. Maybe it was time to get everything out in the open. She glanced at her phone and immediately went to her text messages. She looked through her messages with Drake. A string of goodnight messages with the occasional longer exchange. Maybe she would tell him tonight.

Riley joined Hana in the ensuite as Hana had pulled out all of her make-up and hair products. Riley cranked the music up on her phone and they spent the next two hours perfecting their evening out looks. 

A text from Maxwell dinged on both of their phones.

_ Maxwell: Meet out front in 20 minutes. _

_ Drake: Dude. Liam can’t just walk out the front door without Bastien following. _

_ Maxwell: Plan B. The four of us will meet out front. Liam will go into super stealth mode and crawl through the bushes. We’ll pick him up down the street from the manor. _

_ Liam: Super stealth mode? _

_ Drake: nevermind I got this _

*******

Forty-five minutes later, all five of them were piled into the Beaumont limo and on the way to the Western bar Maxwell had found. Despite Drake protesting that it was his birthday and he deserved to pick the music, Maxwell had a playlist of country songs going to set the mood.

When they arrived, Maxwell pushed the doors open wide and walked straight through.

“The party has arrived!”

“Oh! Where!” Hana asked, looking around.

“It’s us Hana. He means us,” Drake drawled walking in and taking in the atmosphere.

“Exactly my good man,” Maxwell said, clapping Drake on the shoulder. “As in we’re the life of the party.”

“We . . . are?”

“Well. Some of us.” Maxwell looked pointedly at Drake, who still looked unimpressed.

“I can’t believe I actually let you talk me into this,” Drake said to Riley.

Riley looked around. Perfection. She turned and smiled at Drake, “First order of business, we’ve got to get you a birthday drink!”

Riley started to walk toward the bar, followed by Liam. “I’ll buy the first round,” he declared.

Riley stopped and whirled around. Drake and Liam, who had been following right behind her almost crashed into each other.

“On his birthday?” Riley asked in surprise. “Any bartender with a heart would give him a free drink to start the night off, don’t you think?”

Liam and Drake shared a look. Drake rolled his eyes, “Free drinks are something that happens when you’re a woman, Riley. Even on my twenty-first birthday I didn’t get so much as a free drop from anyone.”

Riley searched her memory for an example that proved him wrong, but come to think of it, none of her guy friends ever seemed to get free drinks.

“No? Well, let me see what I can do. Come on, Drake.” She grabbed his arm and dragged him off to the bar and Liam went to secure a booth with Hana. Riley confidently approached the bar and flashed a winning smile at the bartender. “Hey, bartender, my friend here is celebrating his birthday today! Can we get a drink on the house?”

The bartender gave a short nod and Riley turned her smile to Drake. “It’s like everything I know is wrong,” Drake said, eyes wide.

“Good of you to admit it!”

Drake snapped and pointed, “No, I figured it out. Of course he’ll do it for you. No one says no to a hot girl.”

Riley’s smile got even wider, “You definitely just called me hot.” She leaned back against the bar with a smug look.

Drake blushed furiously, “I just meant . . . from his perspective.”

“Suuuuure. Anyway, I already know you think I’m hot.”

“I, uh . . . “

“What?”

“Sure, Brooks. Cocky as always. And yeah, I mean, I have eyes. Anyway, stop holding up the line. You’ve gotta tell the man what drink you’re ordering.”

Riley leaned over the bar and whispered conspiratorially to the bartender. Drake raised an eyebrow. A moment later, the bartender put down a glass of top shelf whiskey, and Riley presented it dramatically to Drake.

He smiled down at her, “It’s really starting to feel like my birthday now. Gotta admit, I thought you might make me suffer.” Her heart fluttered and she thought that maybe she should just tell him right then, while they were still away from the rest of the group. Or maybe she should just lick the whiskey off his lips. Ok, reel it back in, they were still here with all their friends.

“What can I say? It’s your birthday. Everyone deserves to have at least one day out of the year when people are nice to them.”

“A guy could get used to this,” he said, still smiling at her. They started to walk away from the bar and she almost slipped her hand into Drake’s, but immediately checked herself when Hana and Maxwell approached them.

“There you two are!”

“Liam just paid the guy operating the mechanical bull. He wants Drake to ride!”

With a bit of prodding, a vote decided by Riley, and Maxwell chanting his name, Drake climbed onto the mechanical bull. For a while, Drake kept perfect balance and Riley tried to keep from watching how easily he moved his hips, keeping time with the bull. Suddenly, it spun all the way around and with one last buck, sent Drake flying . . . right into her. They ended up tangled up on the floor.

“Whoa, sorry Brooks.”

Riley didn’t move from under Drake, but smiled up at him, “Heh. My own fault for making you do it.”

“Damn straight.”

“Um, Drake? We should probably get up.”

Drake’s eyes went wide and he scrambled up and reached down to help Riley up. She instantly missed the feeling of him. Something was going to have to give soon. She really really needed to tell him how she felt or she’d probably end up blurting it out in front of everybody, or pulling him across the dinner table to make-out or something. She would do it, but she needed to drink more, so she made a return trip to the bar.

The music started up with a new song and Maxwell excitedly led the way to the dance floor. Riley wasn’t expecting Maxwell to be such a good dancer. He was pulling out breakdancing moves that were really impressive. While everyone was watching Maxwell, and the dance floor became more crowded, Riley danced her way over to Drake.

“Dance with me?” she asked flirtatiously.

“I’m not really the kind of guy who dances.”

“Seriously? Just sway side to side and you’re basically set.” Riley draped her arms over his shoulders and forced him into a swaying motion.

She felt Drake hesitate. “Really? According to Maxwell there’s a lot more to it than that.” 

Riley looked over her shoulder and saw Maxwell clear room for his breakdancing moves, finishing by balancing on one hand, feet up in the air.

“That was . . . impressive! I didn’t know Maxwell was a dancer.” She turned her head back to Drake.

Drake’s eyes were on the floor. “I’m never going to be like Maxwell.”

Riley put a hand to his face and forced him to look at her, “I never asked you to be. I think the world can only handle one Maxwell.” They watched Maxwell shimmy his way into a group of women. Drake and Riley both burst out laughing. “Besides, there’s a reason I picked you to dance with and not him.”

“Didn’t want to try and keep up with his acrobatics?”

“Maybe I like your style better.” She pulled him closer and he put his arms around her waist, swaying with her. She felt giddy at the feeling of his arms around her. They felt as strong and safe as she had imagined.

“Come on Brooks, it’s more of a lack of style than anything else.”

“Is this a new, humble Drake?”

He laughed. “Only on the dance floor, my one weakness.”

Riley pulled him closer and leaned in to whisper in his ear, “I thought I was your one weakness.”

She pulled back to see Drake’s eyes go wide, “I . . .”

“I mean, I’m the one that never lets you get away with anything and I got you to come out tonight. You know Drake, not everything is about Liam. It’s ok to say what you want every now and then too.”

With fire and hunger in his eyes, he pulled her close and whispered in her ear, “As far as weaknesses go, you’re not the worst, Brooks.” The song came to an end.

“Looks like times up for now,’ Riley said a bit sadly, not wanting to leave Drake’s arms. “I suppose we should rejoin the group.”

Drake stepped back and ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, go find them, I’ll catch up in a bit.”

Riley made her way through the crowd until she found Hana and Liam. Hana gave her a questioning look and Riley shrugged. Maxwell joined them, and Riley announced that she needed to use the ladies room and practically dragged Hana with her.

Once inside the small women’s restroom, Hana turned to Riley with an excited look. “What happened?? I couldn’t see everything from where we were, but you looked awfully cozy.”

“Well, I’m a chicken and couldn’t just say it directly. I don’t even know what I’m supposed to say. Is it like 5th grade? Should I write him a note that says ‘do you like me, check yes or no’?”

“What have you said in past relationships?”

“Adult relationships? I’ve never had to. They always just sort of . . . happen. I mean, fuck, by New York standards, this would be considered a long-term relationship, except he won’t kiss me.”

“Well, I don’t have much advice to give in that area, but maybe you just need to give him the time and space he needs to figure it out. It’s got to be hard for him, feeling like he’s betraying his best friend.”

“I know,” Riley said quietly. Even though she had long since decided that she wanted Drake and not Liam, it still felt like a betrayal to her too. But honestly, it felt mostly like a betrayal against Maxwell. Maybe she needed to come clean and bring Maxwell in on this whole thing. “Well, we better get out there. Don’t want the boys to panic and send a search party for us.”

Riley and Hana did one last check in the mirror, freshened up and made their way back out to the dance floor. They found the guys, who were all together, just dancing in their own world. Hana and Riley happily joined in and the five of them created their own little circle and lost themselves in the music. Maxwell taught Hana some of his moves, which she picked up with ease. Liam met Riley’s challenge for showing off by doing a backflip, which surprised Riley. Drake kept to the sidelines, but smiled more than Riley had ever seen him smile in one evening. Although Riley noticed him sneaking glances at her, which she always returned with an inviting smile.

In what felt like no time at all, the music was coming to an end and the five of them were the only people left in the bar.

“We shut this place down!” Maxwell said happily.

“What did you think, Hana,” Riley asked of the only member of the group who had never been to a bar before.

“This was scary . . . but the fun kind of scary?”

“You’ll learn to love going out! Wait until next time,” Maxwell assured her as they all started walking to the door.

Riley looked around for Drake and found him hanging back, still looking around. She quietly slipped away from the group and walked back to him.

“Not ready for your birthday to be over?”

“Heh. Maybe. You know, to tell you the truth I always dreaded my birthday when I was a kid. My parents tried hard, really hard, to give me the best birthday they could. But I kind of always knew that no matter what they did, Prince Liam’s parents were going to top it. My parents got me a toy t-rex, Liam’s parents got the whole palace staff to dress up as dinosaurs for his birthday. My parents got me a cake shaped like a car? His parents got him a cake the size of a car.”

“Drake, that must have been hard.”

“I mean, sure, it wasn’t easy, but I knew we were lucky to live at the palace and even be invited to Liam’s birthdays. So I didn’t really care about that stuff. Never saw these birthday parties as a competition. But they were hell on my parents. They knew they could never even come close to what my best friend was getting . . . and that killed them. So when I was around nine or ten, I made a decision to stop trying. No more birthday parties, no more cakes, no more presents . . . all I wanted was to spend the day with my family doing something fun. My parents loved it. Made them feel like they could really give me something special.”

“Awww”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. I’m a total marshmallow. Just don’t tell anyone else.”

“No promises . . . but . . .”

“But?”

“Drake, I hope I didn’t get in the way of any family traditions tonight.”

“Nah. My family’s not here anymore, so I wasn’t really expecting to do anything tonight.”

“Drake? Where’s your mom?”

“Texas. She, uh, she moved back there about a year after my dad died.”

“Without you and Savannah?”

“Yeah. We stayed here and Liam made sure we were taken care of.”

“Drake! You were only fifteen! How old was Savannah?”

“Twelve.”

“That’s . . . that’s . . . “

“You can see why I don’t like to talk about it. Anyway, tonight has actually been,” he looked at Riley with those intense eyes, “well, it’s been really fun. And if I’m being honest with myself, it felt a lot more like those special birthdays with my family than I thought it could.”

“Does that mean I’m like family now?”

After a long look, Drake looked away. “ . . . Not exactly. But maybe we are friends. I’m glad you dragged me out.”

“Just friends?” Riley asked tentatively.

With a pained look, Drake said, “We can be friends.” He looked toward the door. All their friends were gone and must be waiting in the parking lot. “Anyway, we better call it a night,” he said softly, with a small smile for her.

“Yeah . . .” Riley moved closer and wrapped her arms around his waist tightly and snuggled into his chest. He gently wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head. They fit together so perfectly, she’d never felt so at peace. It wasn’t the smoldering heat of their dance or their conversation at the bar, it was just belonging, and she never wanted to leave.

She looked up at him without letting go, “I’m here for you . . . anytime.”

“. . . Thanks.”

Reluctantly, they pulled apart and walked outside to rejoin their friends.


	16. All Hail the Apple Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drake teaches Riley to ride at Applewood and has an important talk with Liam. Riley rebels, a little, against Bertrand and still becomes Apple Queen.

Drake was up early the next day. He was at the stables by 6:30, getting the horses ready for Riley’s riding lesson. He checked his messages again, just to make sure she was coming.

_ Yesterday _

_ Drake: Night Brooks. Thanks again for a great birthday. _

_ Riley: Goodnight Drake. Glad I could make you happy. _

_ Drake: Riding lesson tomorrow at 7:00. _

_ Riley: Whhhhhhhhhhy so early? _

_ Drake: Take it or leave it Brooks. _

_ Riley: I’ll be there. _

_ Today _

_ Drake: You still coming? _

_ Riley: It’s only 6:45, I’m not late yet. _

_ Drake: Just checking. _

_ Riley: Yes, I’m coming. _

_ You’re an asshole for making me get up this early though. _

_ Drake: That’s me. See you at 7. _

Drake got the horses ready. There were a few ‘loaner’ horses she could ride, but he thought about letting her ride Marabelle’s Dream. The derby winner was retired and now for sale. In the meantime, she did great with any rider and might be the best choice for Riley to learn on a horse that was so well trained.

Drake was actually a little anxious to be around Riley today. She’d said a lot of things last night that made him wonder. . . well, no good was going to come from that train of thought. Besides, he knew she just said stuff like that to throw him off or to get a rise out of him. She didn’t really mean it. But she had asked if they were ‘just friends,’ and Drake had to admit, to himself if not to her, that he hadn’t had ‘just friends’ feelings for her for a long time, if ever.

Whatever feelings he had, she was here for Liam and right now, she needed to learn to ride a horse to help her win this fucked up competition.

“Alright, I’m here. Even Maxwell doesn’t get me up at this ungodly hour.”

Drake looked up to see Riley standing in the stable doorway, looking like a goddess with the sun streaming in behind her.

“Heh. Maxwell wakes you up?”

“Yes. Sometimes he even sings.”

That sounded like Drake’s worst nightmare. “Why don’t you just set an alarm on your phone? Like normal people?”

“An argument I have made many times myself, but the Maxwell alarm usually comes with information about what I have to do during the day, which is usually the first I hear about it, and often comes with a request that I buy some obscenely expensive outfit that I will never wear again in my life.”

“They’re making you buy your own dresses and stuff?”

“Yeah . . . it’s complicated. I’d fill you in on the details, but Bertrand makes sure I don’t actually know any details other than I have to take care of it myself.”

“That’s. . . honestly pretty fucked up Brooks.” Drake was not surprised that the great Duke Ramsford failed in his role of sponsor. Savannah had always looked at Bertrand and Maxwell as the epitome of the nobility, but Drake always saw them for what they were: spoiled rich kids, skating by on the name their ancestors built. Maxwell had been growing on him a bit lately, and they had been friends as kids, but Bertrand had always been a stuck up ass.

“Mmmmm. So is everything else about this whole mess. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Anyway, aren’t you supposed to be teaching me to ride so I can pretend to give a shit about what all these nobles think of me.”

“Uh, yes. . . so, let’s do that.” Drake led Lone Star and Marabelle’s Dream out of the stable.

“Oh my gosh! Is that the horse that won the derby?”

“Yeah, this is Marabelle’s Dream. She’s sort of . . . in transition, but you can ride her for now. I thought you’d do well with a horse that’s very well trained and has a sweet, even temperament.”

“Wow, I feel so lucky. She’s beautiful.”

“Yes she is. Why don’t you get to know her a little before you try riding?” Riley took the reins from him and he showed her how to feed Marabelle and brush her. “You can talk to her, just like you do a human. Although, maybe tone down the swearing.”

“Please, I do not even swear that much.”

“Whatever you say Brooks.”

For the next hour, Riley got to know Marabelle and Drake showed her how to mount and hold the reins properly. He hadn’t realized that she had literally never been on a horse before, but like everything else, she was a quick study. He got onto Lone Star and they walked the horses around the arena for a bit.

“That’s enough for today, but we should probably ride everyday if you’re going to be comfortable enough for the Fox Hunt in a couple weeks.”

“Oh! So . . . does that mean more early mornings.”

“All the early mornings, Brooks.”

“Well, then we probably won’t be sneaking out for late night drinks much for the next couple weeks,” she sighed.

“What? Can’t keep up with me anymore Brooks?” He asked innocently, knowing her insane competitiveness would kick in.

“Oh, I can keep up. In fact, we should meet up for drinks tonight.”

He laughed at how easy it was to get her to do just about anything by telling her she can’t. “Actually, tonight we should rest. You’re going to be sore tomorrow.”

“But we barely did anything.”

“You’d be surprised.”

“I’ll trust you on that. Another night then.”

“Well then, you should get back to whatever Maxwell has you doing today. I’ll untack the horses.”

“You’ll what?”

“Untack the horses. It’s . . . nevermind, I'll take care of the horses. Go find Maxwell."

“Oh. Then, I guess I’ll see you later?”

“If you’re lucky,” he said with a smirk, echoing back to what he had said when they first arrived at the palace. He grinned as she blushed and rushed off. It was nice to turn the tables on her a bit, since she’d been the one with all the flirty, suggestive lines recently. Here with the horses though, he was in his element and felt more confident. Not that he should be talking to her like that at all. Something was going to have to give in this tortuous tug of war between Riley and Liam.

Speaking of Liam, he was going to be late for breakfast. Drake finished up with the horses and went to go find Liam.

“Drake!”

He heard his name from the side of the estate and turned to see Liam. “There you are! We’re taking breakfast in the gardens since the weather is so nice.”

“Sounds perfect. What’s on the menu.”

“Oh, you know. Apple tarts, apple cider, apple porridge, and apple cinnamon muffins.”

“Ah yes, lest we forget what we’re here celebrating.”

“Have you recovered from the birthday festivities.”

“I still can’t believe you got me to go out on my birthday.”

“I did nothing.  _ Riley _ got you to go out. Can’t be all bad if she can convince you to celebrate your birthday.”

“Whatever, we’re . . . friends, I guess. Happy now? You got what you wanted, we celebrated.”

“Honestly, I just want you to be happy Drake.”

“About that. I’ve been thinking a lot about what comes next for me.”

Liam froze. “What do you mean?”

“You’ll be King by the end of the month and married before Christmas. I’ve . . . spent too long living off your generosity and I’m going to need to figure out what I can do to make it on my own. Soon.”

“Drake . . . you always have a place at the palace.”

“That’s nice Liam, and I appreciate where it comes from, but I’m not sure that it’s the best thing . . . for me. Besides, you don’t really need me, not like . . . then. It’s not like you’re forgetting to eat or staring at walls for hours anymore.”

Liam put down his fork and looked at Drake for a long time. “I still need you Drake. You’re one of a very small number of people I trust and I need people I can trust. Why do you think my father and Regina have allowed you to stay this long? Lord knows they don’t actually like you.”

Drake snorted. No Constantine did not like him and never had. That was one of the hardest things to understand as a child - why someone, a King who you looked up to, would dislike you for no particular reason. Why someone would go out of their way to make sure a child understood that he was worthless.

“Hell Liam, you know I’ll stay if that’s what you need from me. Just . . . if things change, don’t get sentimental about it or think you’re going to hurt my feelings or something. I want to do something worthwhile, not just sit around the palace drinking whiskey I have no right to afford.”

Liam nodded slowly. “I see. We can figure out your role in a more official capacity once the social season and the engagement tour are over.”

And just like that, gravity was pulling him back in. Even if Riley actually did want to be with him, what could he offer? A room in the palace and constantly being sidelined and looked down on with nothing to really call their own? When she could be queen and help Liam run the place like she deserved to? Never. And if not Riley, because face it, that was just a fantasy, what woman would want or deserve that? Sure, living in the palace was great for impressing women he only wanted to take to bed, but not for someone he might actually care about and build a life with. Yet here he was, again, willing to put it all on hold because Liam needed him.

*****************************

The next day was the second day of the Apple Blossom Festival and would culminate in the crowning of the Apple Queen. During their morning riding lesson, Riley recounted Bertrand’s attempts to prepare her.

“You should have seen the dress he wanted me to wear. It was ridiculous. Apparently though, it’s an authentic recreation of some previous Apple Queen’s dress from 1570 or something. He got it from a theatre company and expected me to buy it.”

“Did you tell him to go fuck himself?”

Riley giggled, “I did. I mean, if I wanted to wear a costume, I could probably get one shipped to me for free. I still have some contacts at Columbia. And one girl I went to school with is on Broadway now, she’d probably hook me up.”

“Wait . . . you went to Columbia? As in Ivy League Columbia?”

“Don’t act so surprised. I’m very smart.”

“That’s impressive Brooks.”

“I guess. It doesn't matter much really though, does it? I didn’t do anything with it. In a weird way though, it prepared me for court.”

“How’s that?”

“Oh, you know, it was filled with people that were richer than me, or more well connected than me all wondering how the hell I got there and trying to put me in my place.”

“Try is probably all they could manage. I can’t imagine someone actually putting you in your place - or you staying there.”

“Not when my place is kicking their ass. Anyway, super can’t wait to bake pies and shit today. Maxwell told me I’ll have to impress Queen Regina with my baking skills.”

“I’m sure you’ll win.”

“Naturally. Why would a future queen need to be a good baker anyway? Aren’t there pastry chefs at that palace?”

“More proof that the whole social season is bullshit.”

“I just don’t quite get the apple obsession. In America when we want to be patriotic, we set things on fire.”

“Honestly, I grew up here and I still don’t totally understand.”

“Did you ever get to have a 4th of July in the US?”

“Well, the first few, I don’t remember. We came back to Cordonia when I was four. Those summer campouts I told you about were partially about celebrating the 4th of July with my mom. But we did spend a summer at my family’s ranch the year I turned ten. We set off Fireworks by the lake. It was pretty great actually.”

“Nothing like it.”

“Do you miss it?”

“Sometimes. But I am happy here.”

“Good. We should wrap this up though. Tomorrow, we’ll pick up the pace.”

“Great. Guess I’ll have to go win the Apple Queen thing.”

***********************

Drake wasn’t surprised when Riley was named Apple Queen. If it was a competition, she always made sure to win. He’d even added his voice to the chorus of cheers to vote for her. Then Queen Regina had Riley pick her “court” and she chose Drake as her Cup-Bearer, supposedly her most trusted person. He glared at her as he walked up to take his place next to her. She knew he hated being up in front of the cameras.

“You know the cup-bearer tastes drinks for poison, right?” he asked.

“You’ll be fine,” she said, smiling and patting his arm.

“I’m blessed to carry out your agenda, my queen.” All he got back was a bright smile, she was loving this.

Then Riley named Maxwell as court jester, which was decidedly appropriate.

“Three time MVP, coming through!” Maxwell leapt up to the front and snatched the jester hat from the Queen.

Drake rolled his eyes, “You’re not supposed to enjoy this.”

“I’m sensing jealousy,” Maxwell said, turning back to the crowd and raising a cheer.

“Forget I said anything.”

Riley declared herself an Apple Queen of the people and the procession began. Marabelle’s Dream was pulling the apple cart and Riley greeted her warmly before climbing up into the wagon. Riley started tossing apples into the crowd.

“Did I mention apples for everyone? You get an apple, and you get an apple, everybody gets an apple!” Drake and Maxwell climb up into the wagon next to her and help her throw apples into the crowd. That part was actually kind of fun, especially when Riley nailed Olivia with an apple to the chest.

“How do you like them apples,” she jeered at Olivia.

“Very funny.” Olivia scowled deeply.

“The Apple Queen’s power is absolute!” Riley returned. Ooookay. Maybe this was going to her head.

“Alright Brooks, maybe dial it back a notch,” he said with a laugh.

“I said absolute!”

“Yeah!” Maxwell added. “Make way for Queen Riley!”

“Maxwell, do not encourage her power trips.”

Finally the parade was over and Riley planted a baby apple tree, with Madeline scowling at her the whole time. Drake saw Madeline whispering to Riley and he frowned. Riley didn’t seem bothered much, which seemed to irritate Madeline even more. He had to turn away though when it was time for Liam to kiss her. It was a perfectly innocent kiss on the cheek, but Drake just couldn’t stand the look in Liam’s eyes and the wave of nausea and jealousy that surged through him. He knew he would have to get used to it eventually, but . . . not today.


	17. A Week in Applewood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riley and Drake spend time together alone and with the gang. Hana tries cocktails for the first time. Riley tries to tell Maxwell she doesn't want to be queen before and during the fox hunt.

Riley noticed Drake turn away and disappear into the crowd when Liam kissed her cheek. While she knew it was kind of silly, it was a ceremonial kiss and could have been any of the suitors, she also knew she would have hard time watching Drake kiss anyone else, even as innocently as that. So when Maxwell tried to push her to spend some time alone with Liam a few minutes later, she brushed it off. It was getting harder to keep her feelings from Maxwell and the guilt over the whole thing was eating her alive.

“Maxwell . . . what happens if I don’t win this?”

Maxwell’s usual boyish grin slipped a bit, but he adjusted quickly. “Better not think like that Riley. Besides, I’m sure Liam likes you more than any of the other ladies.”

“But that doesn’t mean I’ll win.”

“I haven’t seen you lose anything yet, except maybe that poker game. Oh! And the race to the beach.”

“I did NOT lose at poker! Drake just refuses to admit when he’s been beat!”

“There’s my girl!”

“Maxwell, you . . . let’s go bob for apples.”

“Oh great Apple Queen, your court jester is here to keep you entertained!”

After bobbing for apples, Hana joined them for apple picking in the orchard. She kept an eye out for Drake, but he seemed to have vanished. She knew he didn’t like being chosen as her cup-bearer, but when the Queen said to pick someone she trusted with her life, Drake’s name was the only one that came to mind. It made her think of Lythikos when he asked if she trusted him and pushed her over in the snow.

“Riley? Earth to Riley?”

Oh, had Maxwell been talking to her?

“Huh? Oh, sorry, I just . . . I think I’m getting tired.”

“Yeah, we all are, that’s why we’re heading back to the manor now. They’ll start clearing the grounds for the Fox Hunt next week.”

“We aren’t actually hunting foxes are we?”

“Not a fox hunt, a ‘fox hunt.’ Didn’t you see my air quotes the first time. It’s more like a race that takes place on the royal hunting grounds. Which means horseback riding through the woods! Oh wait, do you know how to ride?”

“Well, I grew up in New York City. The only thing I know how to ride is the subway.”

“Oh! Well, maybe we could ask Drake to teach you. He’s really great with horses!”

“Good thing I already thought of that.”

“You did?”

“Yeah, he’s been giving me lessons every morning since we got here.”

Hana giggled and Riley shot her a look. Maxwell went on, seemingly without noticing.

“Good thinking Riley! By next week you’ll be riding like a pro!”

“Or at least not falling off.”

“Since we have a whole week here without events, we should plan some classic cronut crew escapades. I vote Hana bakes something for us.”

Hana giggled again. “I’d be happy to.”

“That’s what I’m talking about.”

“Hey Maxwell, where’s the closest town?” Riley asked.

“Oh, we’re pretty far out in the country, but there’s a small town about a twenty minute drive away.”

“Do they have any stores? I’d like to do some shopping in a store whose prices don’t start in the hundreds.”

“They might. I can have the limo take you to town tomorrow.”

Riley, Hana, and Maxwell went their separate ways. Minutes later, Riley collapsed onto her canopy bed. It wasn’t as lavish as her bed at the palace, but it was still better than any bed back home. She scrolled through her phone and realized she hadn’t talked to anyone outside of Cordonia in weeks. She wouldn’t even know what to say to any of them any more. She wondered again where Drake ran off to and what he was doing.

Riley’s finger hovered over his name in her contacts. Why did she suddenly feel so anxious? She threw the phone down. A second later, she picked it right back up.

_Riley: Drinks?_

_Drake: What’ve you got?_

_Riley sent a picture of her stocked mini-bar._

_Drake: Be there in a second._

Riley squeezed her eyes tight and forced the butterflies in her stomach to settle down. There was almost immediately a knock at the door. He really wasn’t kidding when he said a second. She jumped up and answered the door. There was Drake, looking absurdly handsome, leaning on the doorframe. Riley’s knees started to go weak

“Well?” he said expectantly.

“Well what?” Riley blinked. How long had she been standing there staring at him?

“Are you going to invite me in or are we going to drink all your whiskey in the doorway?”

“Oh, yeah.” Riley stepped back. “You can come in . . . but isn’t that bad?”

“Normally, yeah, but my room is right next door. It’s actually pretty easy to go in and out without being noticed.”

“Your room is next door? That’s . . . convenient. Now I know where to go to prank you.”

Drake groaned, “I’m regretting telling you already.”

“Well, I believe you came for the whiskey.” Riley got out glasses and poured one for each of them. “So, where did you disappear to after the Apple Queen parade?”

“Just came back here. Bobbing for apples and all that isn’t really my thing.”

“I get that. All these events are so fucking lame. But seriously, next time you sneak out of some event, take me with you.”

“When you’re queen, you won’t be able to sneak out.”

Riley did not want to talk about being queen, so she just looked away. “Hey, this may sound stupid, but do you want to watch a movie?”

Drake looked a bit unsure. “I don’t . . . there aren’t any movie theaters around here. And even if there were. . .”

“I meant here on my tablet. Netflix. Nobody ever seems to watch tv or movies here. It’s so weird.”

“I . . . guess I never thought about it. I think most of the nobles consider television sort of . . . vulgar, I guess. Something else they’re above doing.”

“Wow, being a Cordonian noble sounds awful.”

“That’s what I’ve been telling you this whole time.”

Riley flicked quickly through her Netflix list and they decided on The Avengers. She grabbed her glass of whiskey and set up her tablet on her bed. Drake looked at her hesitating.

“Oh my god Drake, you can sit on my bed. I promise not to take advantage of you.”

Drake’s eyes went wide at that, but he just laughed and brought the bottle with him. “You are . . . always putting me in my place, Brooks.”

“So, who’s your favorite Avenger?” she asked.

“. . . Captain America.”

“Why does that not surprise me?”

“What does that mean?”

“Just that you’re kind of predictable.”

“Ok then, who’s your favorite?”

“Easy, Iron Man.”

“Why’s that?”

“Well, he has all kinds of money and is crazy smart, but he doesn’t have any special powers that he didn’t invent for himself. And even though he’s a cocky asshole to everyone, he uses his resources to fight evil and save the world. That’s pretty noble, you know? Once you get past the front he puts up for the world.”

“So if you had it your way, you’d use your resources to save the world?”

“Yep. In the flashiest way possible.”

“Sounds about right. Big gestures and public announcements about your accomplishments?”

“Hey! People should give credit where it’s due. Or maybe I just have a thing for cocky assholes.”

Drake's eyebrow raised as sipped his whiskey. "Thought you said rich guys aren't your type."

"Hey!"

"Your words, not mine Brooks."

"Well. . . that's still true," Riley mumbled.

They settled in to watch, trying to keep a respectable distance between them.

*************

Riley fell asleep before the movie ended. Drake couldn’t believe how beautiful she looked with the moonlight in her hair. He gently moved her hair out of her face and covered her with a blanket. He longed to pull her close and stay there with her, but . . . he settled for leaning over and kissing her forehead. He quietly left her room and sent her goodnight text from his own room, which now seemed much lonelier than it had before. He finished off the bottle of whiskey, reminding himself that he would never be enough for her.

**************

In the week between the Apple Blossom Festival and the Fox Hunt, Riley fell into an easy rhythm. Morning rides with Drake followed by breakfast with Maxwell and Bertrand. Sometimes there would be a lunch or tea to attend, but most of her days were spent with either Maxwell or Hana, with Drake occasionally joining in. Every evening, Drake, Hana, Maxwell, and Riley would meet up in the manor’s library to hang out. Maxwell usually came up with a game or activity to keep them entertained. Riley learned quite a lot about her new group of friends through a game of Would You Rather, that got awkward after a question about parents came up. Between Riley, Drake, and Maxwell's dead parents and everyone's strained relationships with their living parents, the game quickly ended. Liam even joined them on a couple occasions when his schedule allowed. Ever since the Regatta and the King’s announcement, Liam had been quiet and even more stoic than usual.

One night they decided to expand Hana’s drinking experiences. Each person had to bring Hana drinks to try and she would rate them. Somehow Maxwell had score cards printed up and everything, “Just so the results are official,” he told them.

“Welcome everyone to Hana’s Alcohol Extravaganza!”

“Maxwell . . .” Drake started, but Maxwell ignored the interruption,

“Hana will sample each drink in each category, and rate them on the cards she has been provided. We have left wine out of the categories since she is already an expert. First up, in the cocktail category, Liam!”

Liam smiled brightly and stepped behind the bar to make Hana a Sidecar. Riley nodded her approval, “Very classy,” she acknowledged.

Hana sipped twice, and nodded. She made some notes on her card and looked up expectantly. “Nice choice, your highness. What’s next?”

“Aren’t you going to tell us what you thought,” asked Maxwell.

“No, I don’t want to give away too much before revealing my favorites.”

“Then, next is Riley.”

Riley grinned and took her place behind the bar. She reached into the refrigerator. “I had to prepare in advance to get the right mix of flavors. I will gladly declare victory with . . . Sangria!”

“You’re cheating, Brooks. No wine.”

“Sangria is not wine. It’s a wine-based cocktail.”

“Oh yeah? What wine did you use? The ‘House Red’?” Drake challenged her.

“I vote that it counts,” said Hana. Hana took a long sip of the sangria. “Hmmmmm, what’s the other liquor in this?”

“Brandy,” Riley answered with a smug smile. Riley knew Hana would appreciate the fresh fruit and complex flavors in the Sangria. Hana made some notes, and looked again at Maxwell.

“Alright, Drake,” Maxwell said. “I believe it’s your turn. And remember, cocktails have to have more than just whiskey.”

Riley leaned over to Maxwell, “If he makes an Old Fashioned or a Whiskey Sour, I’m pouring it out and making him start over.” They giggled. But Drake actually surprised them by serving a Sakura Martini.

“Interesting choice, Drake,” Riley said. “I would . . . not have expected that.”

“You said to pick something for Hana, not for me.”

“Ooooh, this one is so pretty! Thank you Drake!” Hana took a few sips and made her notes.

“Alright, my turn,” said Maxwell, climbing over the bar instead of walking around it. He mixed up a Mai Tai and slid it down the bar to Hana, who almost missed.

“Ooo, what’s this,” Hana asked, taking the slice of pineapple from the rim to sip.

“It’s a classic Mai Tai. Can’t go wrong.”

Hana sipped happily and made her notes.

“Now, Lady Hana, you have to tell us what you thought.”

“Actually, they were all excellent choices. Although, I would have to say my favorite was . . . the Sangria. It was perfectly me.”

“I knew it,” Riley cheered.

“I still call that cheating,” Drake complained.

“Next category is shots!” Maxwell said.

Drake interrupted Maxwell’s pouring. “I think that should wait for another night. I think Hana’s already has enough drinks.” He nodded pointedly to where Hana was polishing off the Mai Tai and was already giggling.

“But . . .”

“No one’s stopping _you_ from taking shots, Maxwell,” Liam added. “But perhaps the shots and beer categories should wait. And I should get to bed. Good night everyone.”

They all said their goodnights to Liam.

Hana giggled and sipped the Sangria. “This is so much fun.”

“And this is just the tip of the cocktail iceberg,” Riley added. “It kind of reminds me of college. Except with fewer tequila shots.”

“Alright,” said Maxwell. “Since Hana has four drinks, the rest of us need to catch up.”

“Whiskey for me,” Drake said.

“Make that two, bartender,” Riley said to Maxwell. Maxwell poured whiskey into two glasses before making his own citrusy, fruit concoction.

"Maxwell, what is that crime against alcohol?" Drake asked.

"I don't know, I just added a bunch of stuff."

"That's . . . just. . . unnatural."

"What can I say? I'm a man who knows what he likes."

They sat drinking and laughing well into the night.

********************

When the day of the fox hunt arrived, Maxwell and Bertrand were at Riley’s door even earlier than usual. Since they would be riding all day, she didn’t have a lesson scheduled with Drake and was looking forward to finally sleeping in - at least a little.

“Rise and shine!” Maxwell said cheerily, opening the curtains wide.

“Wake up. No one’s getting any younger here,” Bertrand grumbled. While Bertrand was usually pretty grumpy, he seemed especially so this morning.

“Isn’t it a little early for this?” Riley asked, curling herself around her pillow. The late nights with her friends and early morning riding had started to catch up to her.

“Today’s events start early!”

“Obviously. Do you think we enjoy standing outside your door in the early hours like some sort of postal delivery service?”

“That’s not what they . . . never mind. Today’s going to be awesome! RIley, you’re going to commune with nature along Cordonia’s majestic countryside.”

“Yes, sunshine is exactly what I need,” Riley said sarcastically as she dragged herself out of bed.

“Like a plant.” Where is he going with this metaphor?

“ . . . Right. Where are we headed?”

“We’ll be following one of the historic hunting trails the old nobility would use. It’s ancient. Even before there was a Cordonia, nobles would hunt their quarry along these trails,” Bertrand droned on.

“That didn’t answer my question. . .and we’re not actually hunting anything, right?”

“Hunting is forbidden these days. Besides, the dangerous wildlife has migrated elsewhere in the years since the great Royal Hunts of centuries past.”

“Makes sense. I’d leave an area if all my relatives were getting killed there.”

“Instead, you’ll be riding on horseback through some of the most gorgeous countryside in Cordonia.”

“Come on, let’s go!” Maxwell said happily.

Walking out into the hall, they found Hana, who whisked Riley off to the boutique for a fancy, noble riding outfit. Finally, dressed and ready for the ride, Riley stepped out into the bright morning, only to be cornered by Maxwell and Bertrand.

“There you are.” Wow, Bertrand was really on edge today!

“You found an outfit!” Maxwell said in his usual cheery tone. Riley leveled a blank stare and him and Maxwell dropped his eyes.

“What do you think?” she asked Bertrand.

“Acceptable.”

“Thanks. I’m sure if I’d been informed of what I would need with plenty of time, or if my sponsors helped, I could have found something even more . . . acceptable.”

Bertrand scowled at her and started to speak, but Maxwell nudged him, “You look great Riley.”

“Yes, yes. Now if your ego is sufficiently tended to, we’ve another more pressing matter. Time is of the essence. I noticed Prince Liam was preparing his ride when I went to inspect the mounts just now. . .”

Riley inhaled deeply. “ . . . I take it that means you want me to go find him?”

“Exactly. You should have been at his side ten minutes ago. Maxwell, take her to the stables.”

“Yes, sir.”

Bertrand turned and walked back to the manor. Maxwell rushed her to the stables. “So . . . what’s got Bertrand on the warpath today?”

“Oh, you know, he’s just . . . worried about things. He has things to prepare for next week and then there’s the usual. It’s all getting to him.”

“But you’re not worried?”

“Not as long as we’re Team Riley.” A wave of guilt washed over Riley. She knew how much Maxwell was counting on her, and even if Bertrand irritated her to no end, she didn’t like seeing him so stressed out either.

“Maxwell . . . we need to talk.”

“Ok, but later, Liam’s still in the stables.” He peered through the door quickly and ducked back out. “Coast is clear. Prince Liam is alone. I’ll stall anyone who tries to enter, you get in there and impress our Prince.”

“As if I could do anything else,” Riley grumbled to herself. She gathered herself, got into character, and strode confidently into the stable. Prince Liam was feeding Marabelle’s Dream an apple.

“Preparing for the ride today?” Riley asked with a cheerful smile.

“Lady Riley . . . You have a habit of finding me when I’m alone.”

“Hah. Maybe YOU should be working harder to find ME.”

“If only I were a free man to do whatever I wanted . . .”

And there it was. The whole problem in a nutshell. Had Liam been free to pursue her, would she have fallen for him instead of Drake? At the same time, he had made time for the group, he spent a whole week in Lythikos making time for Olivia, she knew he had breakfast every morning with Drake. If he had really wanted to spend time with her, he would have found a way.

Liam looked at her with a devious smile, “Oh, the things I would do, Lady Riley, if I didn’t have to worry about courtly propriety.”

Riley frowned. She knew he wanted to kiss her, but he hadn’t bothered to really _talk_ to her. In reality, he knew next to nothing about her life, never asked about her family, what she thought about any important topics. And even when he asked a question here or there, he was always easily placated with a cliché answer. He didn’t challenge her or call her on her bullshit the way Drake did. Alright Liam, let’s see what you’ve got.

“Such as?” she asked evenly.

Liam reached out and in a second, pulled Riley tight against his body. He leaned in and whispered in his ear, “Something like this.” Then he took a deep breath and let her go. “I hope you’re looking forward to the Royal Hunt today.” Mmmmhmmm, Prince Voice was back. Riley was less than impressed

“I always look forward to spending time with you.”

“I’ll take that as a vote of confidence. But I know some people don’t do well with horses, and I’ve never seen you ride before.”

Riley couldn’t say she was extremely comfortable on a horse yet, but figured she would do fine riding with everyone else. The day before, she and Drake had ridden a little ways onto the trail they would be riding today and she had done alright. To Liam though, she said, “I basically become a centaur.”

“Sounds like you know your way around a horse. Maybe I’ll be asking you for advice!”

Riley laughed easily. “Somehow I doubt it.”

“I take it you don’t have a horse for the Royal Hunt yet?”

“Well . . . no . . .”

“Luckily for you, the crown has a number of fine steeds you can borrow for the day. Over here is Silver Star, over there is Autumn’s Ember.”

“Cool. So are these the loaner horses?”

“Actually . . . there is one horse here for sale by her owner. The Derby champion, Marabelle’s Dream.”

Riley looked at the beautiful jet black horse she had been riding all week. “She’s for sale?!”

“She’s retired now, but still has a lot of life left in her.”

“Oh Liam, she’s beautiful, but this social season has already taken a toll on my savings. I can’t afford to take care of a horse, especially after not working for so many months.”

Liam looked taken aback. Of course. He’s never had to worry about whether or not he could afford something. And though he worked tirelessly and took his responsibility to Cordonia very seriously, he’s never had to trade hours for dollars or think in terms of how many shifts he would need to cover a purchase.

“Oh, I didn’t . . . I wouldn’t want it to be a burden to you. I could take care of the cost. . . if that’s the only problem.”

“Liam! You can’t buy me a horse!”

“How about this, the crown will buy her and you are free to consider her your own for as long as you are in Cordonia. If at any point you want to make it official, you can pay me back.”

“That’s . . . still too generous.”

“Ride her today and let me know how you feel about it.” Riley didn’t want to mention that she had already been riding her all week. Drake had told her it was okay!

“I’ll take her.”

“Hear that, Marabelle’s Dream? You’ll be riding for a great lady now. Keep her safe. You can name her if you’d like.”

“But she already has a name! I wouldn’t want to confuse her. But maybe shorten it to just Marabelle. How’s that Marabelle?”

The horse whinnied and nuzzled into Riley.

Suddenly there was a commotion outside the stable followed by the King walking into the stable, followed by Maxwell. The moment over, everyone took their horses and gathered with the other nobles outside and soon the King led the group out onto the trail.

After a short ride through the woods, the trail followed the edge of a mountain overlooking the coast. It was a stunning view. Liam rode ahead with the royal family and Madeleine. Olivia rode up next to Riley, gave a disdainful look at Marabelle, clearly jealous, and deepened her scowl at Madeleine. ,

“I can’t believe Madeleine. She’s playing dirty, using her friendship with the Queen to spend time with Prince Liam. I want to wipe that smug look off her face.”

Riley considered pointing out that Olivia had monopolized almost every minute of the trip to Lythikos, but wondered if there wasn’t a better strategy here. “Olivia, it’s unfair. She plays nice, but it’s just an act.”

“Good. I’m not the only one who sees through her.”

“You should give me some credit, Olivia.”

Olivia’s eyes swept over Riley again, this time with more thought. “Perhaps you’re right. Keep your eyes out.”

Olivia rode off and Riley wondered if in another world, she and Olivia could be friends. Their take-no-bullshit attitudes really weren’t that different. A moment later, Hana rode up next to Riley and they chatted together happily and comfortably. Unsurprisingly, Riley learned that Hana was also a champion dressage rider and she even taught Riley a formation. Hana shared a story about one of the few happy memories of her family when they took her for ice cream after breaking her arm after falling off a horse. Yeesh, isn’t that bare minimum family affection?

After riding for a few minutes, Hana left to ride with Kiara and Penelope, once again leaving Riley to ride alone. A familiar voice called out to her from behind, “Brooks!” Oh thank god!

Riley slowed her horse and let others pass her by until she was riding next to Drake. How did she not even know he was here?

“There you are,” he said smiling at her. Warmth tingling through her and she smiled back. She loved when he smiled at her so genuinely. “You look . . .uh, very dignified today.”

“Oh my gosh. . . opening with a compliment?”

“Careful, don’t want you falling off your horse now.”

“Shut up, Drake. I know how you must feel about stuffy blazers and fancy riding attire. I’m actually surprised you’re out here with all the nobles today.”

“Turns out, I had an opening in my schedule today.”

“Oh yes, I forgot about all the important work you’ve been doing since we got here. What is it? Do you have a certain number of whiskey bottles someone bet you you couldn’t finish before the end of the week.”

“Well, that and teaching an American pain in my ass to ride a horse.”

“Thanks for that, by the way. I really enjoyed learning from you.”

“Trying to make me blush again, Brooks? But, I never turn down an event with horses.”

“Is that why you’re not frowning . . . as much as usual, anyway.”

“It has more to do with the company I keep,” he said softly, smiling at her.

Riley’s heart soared. Was he finally being honest about how he felt about her? “A second compliment?!”

“One more and you win the jackpot.”

“I hope it’s all your whiskey.” 

They rode along for a few more minutes, grinning like idiots and sneaking glances at each other. Then Drake sighed.

“You know, when we first met, I wanted to dislike you so badly.”

“You _wanted_ to dislike me? Why?”

“You were crashing Liam’s bachelor party! It was supposed to be our last night out together before all of this. We’ve always been like brothers, doing everything together. Now I’m lucky to see him for five minutes without a noble girl throwing herself in front of him. Sorry . . . I didn’t mean . . .”

“I don’t throw myself at Liam and I'm not noble, so I know you didn’t mean me.”

Drake chuckled. “Anyway, I know we got off to a bad start, but somewhere along the way . . . things changed. And . . . Hell Brooks, I don’t even know why I’m telling you any of this.”

“Drake, I’m too adorable to dislike.”

“Fair enough.”

“You think I’m adorable?”

He smiled shyly at her for a second and then let it slide into his smirk, “I’m saying you’re allowed to believe that you’re adorable.”

“You think I’m cute. Admit it.”

“I’ve made a terrible mistake.” He shook his head and smiled to himself.

“It’s fine, I’ll get you to admit it sooner or later. Probably late and night when we’re really drunk.”

“I don’t get drunk, as you know. This has been touching, but I need to rescue Liam from his family for a couple minutes.” Drake rode off, leaving Riley still feeling glowy. Well, if Drake was going to save Liam from his family, maybe Maxwell needed rescuing as well. She dropped back to where they were riding at the end of the line. 

Seeing Riley, Bertrand scowled, “Do I make myself clear?”

“Yeah,” Maxwell answered.

Bertrand rode off.

“What was that all about?”

“Oh, you know, estate things, the consequences of failure and eternal ruination of our family name and fortune.”

“Oh.”

“But I don’t think we’re going to fail. You and Liam are getting close. Even when he’s talking to his family, he sneaks glances back at you.”

“Maxwell . . . remember earlier when I said we needed to talk?”

“Oh, yeah! I guess this would be a good time. What’s up?”

Riley took a deep breath. She needed to come clean to Maxwell, he deserved that much from her. Why did it suddenly feel so hard?

“Maxwell, I need to tell you something. I’m not sure I’m going to win,” she skirted the issue.

“Don’t think like that Riley! Love will win.”

“That’s the thing Maxwell. I’m falling for someone else.”

“ . . .What?! No . . . Riley, please don’t say that! The social season can be a confusing time. It’s easy to bond really quickly with people here throughout the activities. You can’t trust how you might be feeling right now.”

“I know how I feel, Maxwell. This isn’t something that came out of nowhere. And . . . I don’t think I want to be a queen.”

“Even if you’re having doubts, you’re here for the Prince.”

“So, what? I have to stay here no matter what? Am I your prisoner, Maxwell?”

“Of course not, it’s just . . . complicated.”

“And if I stay here, I have to stay in the competition? If Liam chooses me, I have to marry him, no matter how I feel? I get no say in my own life from here on out?”

“Riley! That’s not what I . . .”

“If that was the deal Maxwell, I never would have gotten on that plane. You know what, just give me time to think about all this.” Riley rode off down the mountain pass alone, angry and confused. She needed some time to clear her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why, but this chapter was so hard to write! I had to stop and come back to it and re-write scenes and edit scenes much more than I usually do. It still doesn't feel finished to me, but here it is. I also wanted to write the Would You Rather scene and tried, but it wouldn't come. Maybe I'll do it later and add it back in.  
> I know that all of us that have no interest in Liam as a LI get frustrated with how the game forces you into a relationship with him and you never get a chance to even hint to him that you might not feel the same way he does until he's literally proposing. I think some of that frustration came out in my extended version of the fox hunt conversation with Maxwell.


	18. Trauma and Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything else that happens at Applewood.

Drake and Liam had ridden ahead of the rest of the “hunting party,” and arrived first at the village. Drake’s mouth was already watering with the scent of roasted meats filling the air. It didn’t matter how many nobles he had to put up with. This was by far the best event of the social season. Riding horseback through some of the best countryside and the only real meal at one of these fancy parties. He handed Lone Star off to one of the servants who would take her to be fed and turned to watch the rest of the party arrive. He started to worry a bit when Riley didn’t arrive with Hana, but finally, she came into the clearing, followed at a distance by Maxwell. Whoa! She looked pissed! She looked ready to dismount when the King announced the race and she took her place at the starting line with the rest of the ladies her eyes narrowing in determination. Uh oh. Competitive Riley had showed up.

It was hardly a race with Riley riding a Derby champion, but Riley nodded in satisfaction and she slid out of the saddle and handed Marabelle off. He turned to Hana, who had come up next to him. “What’s wrong with Brooks?”

“I don’t know,” Hana replied thoughtfully. “She seemed fine during the ride. At least when I talked to her.”

“Yeah, I thought so too.”

Maxwell joined them. “It’s probably my fault. I . . . think I said some things that upset her.”

Drake narrowed his eyes, “Like what?”

“Hey! She’s over there talking to Liam, let’s go.”

Hana and Drake shared a look and shrugged and the three of them joined Riley and Liam near the tables.

“Hey, the feast is being put out,” Drake said, more as a suggestion they should find seats and eat. He was starving after riding all day with no lunch break.

Apparently the rest of them never felt hunger though because suddenly they were discussing taking a detour right then to the nearby ruins. With a long look at the food, Drake followed the group even though he had no desire to see old buildings or postpone dinner.

After a short walk through the forest, they came upon an old ruined temple.

“It’s so peaceful and serene,” Hana said appreciatively.

“Yep. . . sure are a bunch of old things here,” Drake said, already bored and wishing he had stayed with the food.

Liam didn’t let it go though, “It’s so much more than that. There’s something so calm about this place. Can’t you sense it?”

“The only thing I sense is about a million snakes and probably a couple of rock monsters getting ready to attack us,” said Maxwell.

“Rock monsters?! Do you have rock monsters in Cordonia,” Hana asked incredulously. For someone so smart, she was really gullible.

“It was a joke . . .just forget it.”

Soon, the five of them had split off in different directions, exploring different parts of the ancient site. Drake sat down by the river contemplating how different this summer felt from all the summers before. He wondered if he had told Riley too much, or not enough during the ride today. He wanted to confess everything he had been thinking and feeling, Liam and his fucking suitor competition be damned. Well . . . not everything he had been thinking. She’d probably run away as fast as she could if she knew he . . .

Drake was startled out of his thoughts by Maxwell sitting down next to him.

“Drake! You don’t want to, what did you say, go touch old rocks?”

“All rocks are old Maxwell.”

“Heh, I guess that’s true.”

“What do you want Maxwell?”

“To hang out with my good buddy Drake.” Drake shot a glare at him. “Or get some advice about how to fix things with Riley.”

“Don’t ask me. I’m good at pissing people off and making them hate me, not fixing it. Hana could probably give better advice.”

“Good point.”

“What did you say to her anyway?”

“She, uh, was talking about . . . I guess she wants to drop out of the competition.”

“What?! Why would she do that?”

“She said she doesn’t want to be queen. And . . . and she said there’s someone else. That she doesn’t love Liam, but she’s falling for someone else.” 

Maxwell gave Drake a questioning look, and Drake did everything he could to keep his face unreadable. She said . . .someone else. That didn’t mean it was him. It could be Maxwell - she spent a lot of time with Maxwell. Or, hell even Hana. But, he’d never seen her flirt with Hana. Or Maxwell. Then there were all the things she’d said at his birthday party. He thought she just liked to get him all flustered, but did she mean it? Focus. Don’t give anything away.

“Okay. So that’s what she said. What did  _ you _ say that made her so mad?”

“I told her not to trust her feelings and that she’s here for Liam. And she went off about being a prisoner and not getting to make her own choices in life.”

Drake knew from all of their late night conversations and horseback rides that Riley was apprehensive about the idea of being queen and having her freedom taken away. He also knew that trying to get her to do anything she didn't want to was utterly pointless. But if she wasn’t doing it for Liam and she wasn’t doing it to become queen, why was she here at all?

“I don’t know Maxwell, if she wants to leave, I’d help her. You can’t force her to do something she doesn’t want to. But . . . I don’t think it will come to that. She forgives easily, I’m sure she’ll get over it and things will be back to normal by tomorrow.”

“Yeah.” Maxwell was unusually somber. “Um, thanks for. . . you know, looking out for her, and helping us with everything this social season. I know it’s not usually your thing.”

“Yeah, well . . . I mean, you’re welcome.”

Maxwell hesitated for a moment. “You’d . . . do a lot for her, wouldn’t you?”

Drake didn’t look at Maxwell, afraid of what his face might betray. So he just answered truthfully, “Yep. Just about anything.” When Drake didn’t look up, he felt Maxwell move away. A few minutes later, he glanced around and saw Riley and Maxwell skipping stones together. Looks like he had been right. She never stayed mad long.

When Drake saw Riley walking toward him, he wanted to demand to know who she was talking to Maxwell about. He wanted to grab her and kiss her. And he wanted to punch something because in all likelihood, she’d probably be engaged to his best friend in a little more than a week. As he struggled against the war in his own mind, she took a seat on the tree root next to him.

“Hey Brooks.”

“You look like you’re having a good time exploring,” she noted sarcastically.

“Archeology isn’t really my thing.”

“You could at least look around. It’s not like you come here often.” 

Why did she care what he was doing? He was perfectly fine just sitting and enjoying nature and being fucking hungry

“I looked around. There’s some old buildings. That’s about it.”

“Hmmm. I guess it is just a bunch of buildings.”

“Exactly. No need to work up a fuss about some bricks that stopped being useful centuries ago.”

“So why did you come out here if you don’t really care for these sorts of things?”

Because of gravity. He goes where she goes, pulling him in whether he wants to or not. But Drake can’t explain that to her. He sighed and looked at where each of their friends was exploring.

“I don’t think we’re going to get many more times like this.”

“Like what?”

“I mean . . . Liam is going to be king soon. And you could very well be his queen. Everything’s going to change.”

“You know Liam’ll make time for you. You’re his best friend after all. Your adventures together are the stuff of legend.”

“They’re more like footnotes. And legends are in the past Brooks. I’ve already been talking to Liam about what comes next.”

“Drake . . . he’s not going to push you out just like that.”

“You don’t know that for sure.”

“This is Liam we’re talking about.”

“I know . . . it’s just that I’ve seen this play out before. And things are already changing. But if anyone will buck the trend, it’s him. Brooks . . . we may have had some ups and downs between us, but I want you to know that I’ve enjoyed this little adventure with you. Not just the ruins, but the whole thing since I walked into your bar in New York. You’re . . . you’re not bad.”

Drake silently cursed himself for saying something so stupid. But Riley just laughed.

“Awww Drake, I care for you too. And for the record, it’s been a lot more ups than downs.”

“Brooks . . . I . . .” What did she mean she cared for him? Cared about him the way he cared about her? And how had she gotten that out of ‘you’re not bad.’ Maybe he should just stop torturing himself, tell her how he felt and let her do with it what she wanted. She told Maxwell . . . no, she didn’t tell Maxwell anything specific. He just shook his head. “You’re something else . . .” Ok, slight improvement over ‘you’re not bad.’

“Now we really need to get you out of here before you completely lose it. All this reflecting isn’t healthy for you.”

“You’re right,” he said standing. “If I stay much longer, I might melt into a big ball of mush.” He helped her up.

“You’re still a marshmallow.”

Drake just rolled his eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Brooks.”

After a reconvening in the center of the ruins, the five of them made their way back to the village and finally to the feast.

“Wow, that’s a lot of meat,” Riley observed as they found spots at the table.

“It’s not exactly a feast without it,” Drake said happily.

Hana surveyed the endless trays of meat being passed around. “A little more fruit couldn’t hurt.”

“I wouldn’t mind putting a bunch of fruit on a stake and waving it around like a sword,” Maxwell said, pantomiming waving a sword.

Ooookay. Time to put a stop to this. “Alright, let’s grab our food before Maxwell gets any other crazy ideas.”

“And then I could wear a watermelon as a helmet. . . I’d be unstoppable.” 

Drake wondered if telling Maxwell that a watermelon couldn’t . . . nope, not worth it. Anyway, he was already grabbing a glass for one of his crazy toasts. “A toast to all of us and to our friendship.” That was . . . a surprisingly normal toast. And they all toasted . . . to friendship.

When they finally arrived back at the manor, dismounted and returned their horses to the stable. Riley looked about ready to collapse. Drake had never taken her out for more than an hour with the horses, so two long rides in one day was probably going to hurt in the morning.

“That was a long ride,” she said.

“For once, I agree with you,” Bertrand added.

“But now I can soak in a tub for the rest of my life,” Riley said, looking longingly at the lights of the manor.

“Or . . . until the country jamboree starts tomorrow!” Maxwell said, somehow still able to bounce along the path excitedly. “Hope you’re ready for another paaaaaarrrrrrttyyyyy!”

“This is how I die . . .” announced Bertrand. And maybe for the first time in a very long time, Drake agreed with Bertrand.

*********************

Fortunately, the Country Jamboree didn’t begin until late in the afternoon. Drake had a lot to think about and really didn’t want to see anyone while he worked it all out. It had been several weeks since Riley first asked about helping her leave the competition, and despite what Maxwell said yesterday, she had not brought it up again. He knew that if she stayed, Liam would pick her. In reality, she was the best choice for queen. She wasn’t volatile like Olivia or manipulative like Madeleine. She wasn’t pretentious like Kiara or vapid like Penelope. The only one that even came close was Hana. Now HANA would make an excellent queen, but Liam didn’t love Hana. At least not romantically.

Drake wracked his brain for a solution to all this that didn’t end in disaster and heartbreak for everyone. The only thing he kept coming back to was that Liam should pick Riley, and Drake would move away from the palace. That way, if it was him holding her back from falling in love with Liam, he would be gone. And he wouldn’t have to watch as the only woman he had ever loved lived happily ever after with his best friend.

Aaaaaaaaand he needed to stop using that word, even in his own head.

During the Country Jamboree, Drake ducked through the crowds trying to find the best appetizers and the open bar. On his way to the bar, he almost walked straight into an argument between Olivia and Madeleine.

“Don’t make me laugh Olivia. You’ve hardly been playing ’fair’ this whole time.”

“I’m not the one using my relatives to push my advantage with Liam.”

“Of course not. You don’t have any.”

“At least my parents weren’t a gossiping lush and an English royal-wannabe.”

Madeleine tittered. “That’s rich. I know what your parents actually were.”

Whoa. Drake spun around and walked firmly in another direction to go anywhere but in the middle of that.

Next he found Maxwell and Hana, with Hana desperately trying to keep Maxwell from putting a blindfold on at the archery range.

“I’m telling you Hana, I do this all the time and usually I’m drunk. So sober, I can’t miss!”

“You shoot apples off people’s heads all the time? You said you saw a video.”

“Well, I shoot them off the busts of my dead ancestors, that’s basically the same, right?”

“Uh huh. And how often do you hit them, Maxwell?”

“ . . . Sometimes.”

Drake still kept walking. If he stuck around too long, he was pretty sure Maxwell would try to shoot him with an arrow. Not too far off, he saw Liam and Riley playing the ring toss. Holy hell! What was she wearing?! Riley always looked great and was hot as hell on a bad day, but this looked like she stepped right out of a Texas summer. There was no way he could focus with her walking around like that. He saw her smile up at Liam after tossing her ring onto a peg and his heart clenched involuntarily. Drake purposefully walked far out of their line of vision before finally finding the bar and staying there.

At dinner, he noticed Liam kept looking over at Riley, who was chatting happily with Maxwell and Bertrand. 

“Something on your mind? Or someone?” Drake asked, trying to talk to Liam the way they used to talk.

“Someone . . . definitely.”

“Well did Brooks beat you at ring toss? Because if you won, she’ll never forgive you.”

Liam chuckled, “Oh she won, as usual. You were wrong, you know.”

“That can’t be right. What was I supposedly wrong about?”

“She belongs here.”

“Oh that. I suppose I’ll admit to being wrong on that count.”

“I should hope so!”

“So, you’ve decided then?”

“I’ve thought about it a lot. My father and Regina are still pushing hard for me to choose Madeleine, but in the end . . . it’s always been Riley. I don’t think they’d have any reason to deny my choice.”

“Why Madeleine?”

“Oh you know, perfect poise, bred for the role, strengthens ties with Great Britain, plus the media loves her.”

“Only because they don’t know her.”

Liam winched. He never did like to talk badly about people, even if he didn’t like them.

“Well, speech time.” Liam rolled his eyes and stood up to make his speech thanking everyone for the wonderful time at Applewood and announcing the Beaumont Bash. Drake finished eating and decided not to stick around for the evening festivities. Brooding over Liam’s ultimate decision to marry Riley with a glass or five of whiskey sounded much preferable.

Soon he was back in his room not sure of what he should do. Part of him wanted to talk to Riley. He could just wait for her to get back, tell her how he felt, tell her what Liam wanted, and let her choose. Part of him just wanted to forget about the whole thing. Apologize to Liam and leave court. Maybe he could go finish school, get a job . . . he didn’t belong here anymore. Maybe he could make amends with his mom and work on the ranch back in Texas. 

Since nothing could be done about any of that at the moment, Drake threw himself on the bed in frustration. He grabbed his phone and sent off two text messages.

_ Drake: Hey, I’m not going to make it to breakfast tomorrow. I have some things I need to do in the morning. _

_ Liam: I understand. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help. _

And

_ Drake: Calling an early night. G’night Brooks. _

_ Riley: Me too! Maxwell said we have to leave early, but can we do one last ride? _

_ Drake: Sure, if you’re recovered. _

Drake threw the few items he had unpacked in his bag so he wouldn’t have to in the morning. He would take Riley for her ride, and then he would drive back to the capital and start looking at his options. The coronation was in a week and he would have to be gone the day after. Suddenly he heard screaming from the room next door. From Riley’s room.

Drake ran to Riley’s room and slammed the door open. He saw Riley and Tariq, Tariq had his hands on her and was kissing her. Riley was only in her underwear and looked terrified. She was scared, he . . . snapped.

“Get away from her,” Drake yelled at Tariq, grabbing him by the shoulders and pulling him away.

“Unhand me! How dare you enter my room without my permission!” Tariq hissed and punched Drake squarely in the face. That was a surprise, Drake didn’t even know Tariq could punch. After the shock wore off, he grabbed Tariq and tackled him to the floor. He punched Tariq in the face, until Tariq was able to push him off and get in another punch to Drake’s ribs and they rolled apart.

“Who the hell do you think you are bursting into my room?” Tariq demanded scrambling to stand.

“This is  _ Riley’s _ room. And I heard a scream. I think she wanted interrupting.” Drake stood and put himself between Riley and Tariq.

Riley spoke up from the floor in front of the bed, “Drake, Tariq deserves to have his ass kicked.” She was shaking and had her knees pulled against her chest. All her usual bravado was gone and she looked like a lost little girl. Drake’s heart shattered, but he looked back to Tariq, ready to carry out her wishes.

A look of shock flitted across Tariq’s face. He looked around the room, then at Drake, and finally to Riley. Suddenly uncertain he asked, “So, this isn’t to be the bold, romantic beginning to our love story?”

“No!” The shout ripped from Riley's throat.

“But . . . I’d heard . . .”

“You heard wrong.” Riley said fuming up at him. “And for the record, before you try to kiss someone,  _ ask _ first!” Her energy spent her head dropped to her knees, still pulled in close to her chest and she dissolved into sobs.

Tariq looked truly stricken. “Let me deeply apologize here. I’m so sorry for this transgression. I was incredibly wrong. Now, before I can humiliate myself any further . . . let me take my leave.”

Drake followed him all the way to the door and slammed it behind him. He turned back to Riley who was still on the floor crying. He approached her slowly, unsure if his presence was still wanted. Carefully, he sat down next to her, keeping a distance. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and never let go, but she’d already had enough unwanted advances tonight.

It took awhile, but eventually the sobs slowed and she tilted her head to look at him. “Thank you Drake,” she whispered. Then she laughed a bit. “What took you so long?”

“I’m in the room next to yours, but it still took me a minute to make it over here,” he said softly, wishing he had gotten there quicker. “Liam would never forgive me if I let something bad happen to you. And you know I’d never forgive myself either.” She smiled at him and sat up a little straighter. He was suddenly aware that she was still very much undressed and they were very much alone in her room. Swallowing hard and trying to pull his eyes off her lacy blue bra, he looked around quickly spotting her dress laying on her bed. 

“Er, Brooks . . .” he said, trying to avert his eyes and standing.

“What?”

Drake handed her the dress and she looked down at herself. Riley’s eyes went wide and she flushed bright red. “OH!” She grabbed the dress and scrambled up to put it back on. Drake politely turned away.

“Anyway, you can see why it looked bad. I heard a scream, saw you half naked with Tariq all over you. . .”

“Yeah, I get it,” she growled. “Ok, I’m decent.”

Drake turned back to her and took a slow step closer. Her face was stained with tears and make-up. Her usually perfect hair was disheveled and yet, she still looked so beautiful. “Are you okay?”

Tears filled her eyes again. She quickly wiped them away. “I’ll be fine,” she said, not sounding fine at all.

“Don’t lie to me Brooks.”

She looked him directly in the eyes, “I’ll be fine because you came. You stopped him before . . . it got worse. It’s not even the worst that’s ever happened to me, so, yes, I know I will be fine.”

Drake’s eyes narrowed, “Worse?”

“I . . . yeah, there have been worse things, though maybe not as bad as you’re imagining. But I don’t want to talk about it . . . not right now.”

“I’d never ask you to talk about anything you don’t want to, but if you think you’ll be alright, I should get out of here before we  _ really _ cause a scandal.”

She nodded, looking at the floor.

“I’ll be right next door, if you need anything,” he reminded her.

She gave a small smile. Suddenly the pain from his fight with Tariq hit and Drake winced. He reflexively reached to his ribs where Tariq had punched him.

“You’re hurt,” Riley said, coming closer.

“Nothing a few shots of whiskey won’t fix.”

“Let me take a look. It’s the least I can do.”

“You trying to get me to take my shirt off, Brooks,” he said with a smirk. Then he wondered if their usual flirtatious banter wouldn’t be appreciated tonight.

She smiled, but her eyes turned serious. “I just want to help.” She was so close to him now, looking directly up into his eyes.

“I’m fine. Save your fussing for someone else.”

Her eyes flashed with irritation and she moved to stand in front of the door.. “Drake, you got hurt for me. I’m not letting you leave this room until you let me take a look at you! You can start by taking off your shirt. I think he hit your ribs pretty hard. They could be broken!”

“Wow, you’ve got a real bossy side to you, you know that?”

“You think I’m being bossy? Drake, I’m taking that shirt off you myself.”

“Hey . . .” And before he can say any more, she had pushed his denim shirt off his shoulder and slid her hands under his t-shirt to pull that off as well. When she did that in his fantasies, the circumstances were a bit different. He quickly pushed that thought down, remembering everything she had been through that night. She lifted up his arm and gently pressed along his ribs.

“So, doctor, do you see anything alarming?” Her fingers moved from his ribs to his back and Drake struggled even more to keep his thoughts under control.

“You’re going to have a few spectacular bruises . . .” she mused.

Drake winced again as she pushed against a tender spot. “Yeah, Tariq hits harder than you’d think. He almost impressed me.” She looked up at him with tears in her eyes again. “What is it?”

“I can’t believe you got hurt because of me. It’s all my fault.” Riley looked down, letting some of the tears fall.

Drake reached out and pulled her face up to look at him. Cupping her face with both hands he spoke very carefully, “No, I got hurt because of Tariq. Nothing that happened tonight was your fault. Don’t ever let yourself think like that, okay, Brooks.”

Riley sighed and relaxed into his hands for a moment and then pulled away. He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated with himself for not coming clean with her before.

“You can be so . . .” he started, “nevermind. Hey, weren’t you supposed to be tending to my wounds?”

“Oh! Right. I think one of the servants fills this bucket with ice every night. You know, just in case I need to chill some champagne . . .”

“Or ice down a friend’s bruises.”

“Exactly,” she said with a smile and a wink. It was good to see her smile again. Riley went to the bathroom and came back with a washcloth, which she filled with some ice. As she busied herself, he glanced over to her liquor cabinet.

“And it looks like someone’s left a fully stocked liquor cabinet in the corner here, so . . .” Drake helped himself to a glass of whiskey and raised an eyebrow at Riley.

“Yes please. I wouldn’t make you drink alone.”

“Heh. Thanks.” Drake poured another glass for her and downed his own. He sat in the chair in the small seating area next to the table. Riley pushed the ice hard against his side and he winced. “Hey! That hurts.”

Riley immediately lightened her touch and the cold seeped in. “Is that better?”

“. . . Actually, yeah. Didn’t realize you could be so gentle, Brooks.”

“I’ve got a gentle side. . . you just don’t see it very often.

“I could stand to see more of it,” he said looking longingly into her eyes. Then he broke their gaze and looked down. He hadn’t ever given her much a reason to be gentle around him. More often than not he was pushing her competitive side or telling her how awful court was. But she had followed him into a storm to make sure he was ok, and made sure he celebrated his birthday, and actually made an effort to get to know him.

“Thank you,” he said. Not just for icing his bruises, but for every time she had been there for him all summer. It was time. He needed to know how she felt. Drake poured himself another whiskey and downed it. “I know I don’t act very grateful for anything most of the time, but I do . . . care about you.” He fucking loved her, but he couldn’t use that word yet.

Riley pulled back and almost dropped the ice. Her face was suddenly very serious, eyes wide. “Drake, I care about you too.”

“You . . . you do?”

“Yes.” A small smile started on her face, making her eyes sparkle.

This was . . . not what he was expecting. He expected her to laugh him off and make a joke about it, or tell him she only cared about Liam. She can’t . . . she shouldn’t be saying this to him.

“You shouldn’t say things like that, Brooks,” he said sadly. The light disappeared from her eyes.

“Why not? I’ve been trying to tell you for weeks.” She ran a hand through his hair and he almost lost his resolve. This was getting dangerous, for both of them.

“You’re here for Prince Liam.”

“That’s what Maxwell said,” she interjected, eyes narrowing. He remembered how angry she had been at Maxwell at the Fox Hunt.

“All the suitors are here for Liam. And, well, so is the entire court, including me. All of the nobles, all of the royals, all of the servants even. Everything and everyone in this place exists to orbit around Liam. You could almost hate him for it, if he weren’t so damned likeable. It’s dangerous for people like you and me to forget that.”

“What are you getting at Drake?” she said with a sigh.

“Hell, Brooks. Don’t make me say it.” He looked down. If only it had all been different. He knew she had liked him when they first walked into the bar. Then Liam walked in and everything changed. “If we’d met somewhere else . . . anywhere else. At a club in New York, or in an airport, or at a party. If you hadn’t been our waitress that night, and I hadn’t been sitting next to Liam, do you think all of this . . . do you think it could’ve been different . . . between us?” He looked up into her eyes hopefully.

She nodded slowly. “It would've been different. Sure, you would’ve still been gruff and I wouldn’t have let you get away with anything . . . but all the rest? Yeah, it would’ve been different. Maybe  _ everything _ would’ve been different.”

“Riley . . . ,” he brushed the back of her hand softly. His heart was pounding so hard, he was sure she could hear it. She felt the same. She said it could be different. And she told Maxwell that she was falling for someone other than Liam . . .

Liam!

Why did being around her make him keep forgetting? He pulled back his hand abruptly and squeezed his eyes closed tightly. “What am I doing? I need to go.”

With a regretful look at Riley, he stood and moved toward the door. Before he got more than three steps away, he felt her arms wrap around him. She embraced him, hands spread across his chest and her head leaning against his back. Suddenly the rest of the world disappeared and it was just the two of them. 

“Brooks . . . you shouldn’t,” he said with a shaky voice.

“Don’t you get tired of being so careful all the time?”

“Constantly.” With that, Drake was undone. Every bit of resolve he had was spent. He spun around and pulled her flush against him as he’d wanted to all night. He ran his hand through her hair and held her head close to his chest, now certain she could hear his heart racing. She tightened her arms around his waist and he buried his face in her hair wanting to take in all of her.

Drake didn’t know how long they stayed like that, holding each other. It was too long and not long enough. Riley turned her head up toward him. He knew he could kiss her and wanted to more than anything. He also knew that if he kissed her right then, it wouldn’t stop there. Unfortunately, the timing of their confessions was terrible. They were so close to the coronation and Liam had told him just a few hours ago that he planned to marry her. She’d also been sexually assaulted only an hour ago. No, this was not good timing at all. He didn’t ever want her to regret anything that happened between them and emotions were already running high.

Drake gently pulled away and shook his head. “Riley, I’ve got to get out of here. Now. Before I do something we might both regret.”

“I wouldn’t regret it,” she was looking at him intently, her blue eyes turned dark and heavy.”

He smiled softly at her and gently brushed a lock of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. “You’ve been through a lot already tonight . . . I don’t think it would be a good idea right now.”

Riley inhaled deeply and nodded. “Okay,” she said quietly.

Drake put his shirt on and pulled her close one more time, swiftly pressing a kiss onto the top of her head. Then he pushed open the door.

“And for all our sakes, lock your door. . .” Drake went to turn the lock in the door handle, but there wasn’t one. “Huh.”

“What is it?” Riley asked, coming closer.

It seemed like too much of a coincidence and Drake had been around court long enough to know that coincidences like that don’t just happen. The handle looked. . . new. . . shiny. It was definitely different than his.

“Brooks . . . there’s no lock on your door handle.”

“There never was one. I thought they were all like that?”

“No. All of the other rooms on this floor lock.” He saw the panic in her eyes. “It’s probably nothing.” Definitely not nothing. He would have to talk to Bastien about it first thing in the morning.

“Probably?” Riley’s eyes filled with tears and her breath came faster. Drake knew he shouldn’t leave her like this. He reached out and took her hand, squeezing gently.

“I don’t think you should be alone.”

“So you’ll stay,” she looked at him so hopefully that it almost broke the resolve he had just built back up. He also knew that he was not wrong. They should not be alone together tonight.

“I . . . really . . . shouldn’t. What if I took you to Hana’s room?”

“Okay. That’s actually a good idea.”

“I have those occasionally,” he smiled down at her.

“Alright. Just let me get some things.”

Riley gathered some clothes and toiletries and put them in a small bag. She grabbed his hand. “I’m ready.”

Drake knew they probably shouldn’t walk around holding hands, but given how scared she looked, he couldn’t bear to let go. He quietly led the way down the hall and around the corner to Hana’s room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, obviously this is a huge moment in the Riley/Drake storyline. The thing that has always bothered me about the canon version is that there is approximately a 0% chance that overprotective Drake would leave her alone in an unlocked room after something like that. I mean, he's clearly fighting his own feelings, but he manages to do that successfully for almost two whole books, no way does he just leave her there unprotected! Anyway, I'm reasonably happy with the way it turned out.
> 
> I will be publishing Chapters 19 and 20 this week for sure, but I'm not sure about next week due to the holidays.


	19. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riley works through the aftermath of Tariq's assault. More of Hana being the best friend ever. Maxwell, Riley and Bertrand travel to Ramsford and things do not go as planned.

Riley knocked three times on Hana’s door. Drake tried to pull his hand away, but she just squeezed tighter and held it firmly. She looked up at him, “Hana knows anyway.”

“Hana knows what?  _ We _ just talked about it thirty minutes ago.”

Riley chuckled. “She figured it out in Lythikos.”

“But I . . .” Drake was interrupted by the door opening.

Hana took in the whole scene in front of her and her eyes went wide.

“Hey Hana!” Riley said brightly. “Something really bad happened that I’ll explain in a minute, and I don’t want to be alone, but Drake’s too afraid he might kiss me to stay, so can I stay with you tonight?”

Drake started, “I’m not, . . . that’s not. Nevermind. Anyway, yeah, can Brooks stay here?”

Hana looked back and forth between them a couple times. “Of course, Riley. Thanks for bringing her here Drake.”

Drake pulled her into a hug and whispered in her ear, “You know where to find me if you need me. G’night Brooks. Hana.”

Then he stepped back and turned to go. Riley instantly missed the warmth and turned to watch him go. Once he had turned the corner and she could no longer stare at his ass, Hana ushered her into her room.

“So . . . big evening?”

“Yes, and I want to tell you everything from the beginning, but . . . can I please use your shower?”

“Of course!”

“Oh, and Hana, can you lock your door?”

A little while later, Riley felt much better having washed away the memory of Tariq’s hands on her. She sat cross legged on Hana’s bed brushing out her hair and recounting the events of the evening . She told Hana about Tariq entering her room apparently under the impression it was his room and thinking that she was there to seduce him. She told her about how he wouldn’t listen as she told him he misunderstood and that he grabbed her and touched her and kissed her. She told Hana about Drake coming to her rescue, fighting Tariq off, and defending her. She told Hana about tending to Drake’s bruises and their eventual confessions about how they felt about each other. And finally she told Hana about how Drake still seemed afraid to be with her and how he wanted to leave.

“Oh Riley! He’s right. With everything that happened tonight, it’s very emotional and confusing.”

“Yes, but I  _ know _ that I want to be with Drake. I’m not confused about that. I’ve wanted that for weeks . . . actually months now.”

“I know. Maybe it’s not so clear for him yet? But, really, do you want that all tied up with what happened with Tariq?” Hana’s eyes flashed in anger. Riley had rarely seen Hana angry, but she had been when Riley had told her about Tariq assaulting her.

“You’re right. I just . . . knowing that it’s not all in my imagination, that there really is something between us, I don’t want to wait anymore.”

“I think that’s probably a natural response, but I still think Drake was right. You need some time to process trauma. That was very gentlemanly of him actually. It shows he really does care about you . . . not just . . .Besides, it’s not like you can just start a relationship right now.”

“I guess that’s . . . true.”

“And he brought you to me, which isn’t bad at all,” she finished cheerily. “Why don’t I make you some tea?”

“How do you always know exactly what I need before I do?”

“You’re my best friend Riley. I’m just glad I can be here for you the way you’re always here for me.”

“Speaking of that, have you talked to your parents since this afternoon?” With Riley’s encouragement, Hana had told her parents that she wanted to start making her own life decisions, even if they disagreed with those choices.

“No, not at all. I think they’re really angry.”

“I’m sorry that I pushed you, if you weren’t really ready.”

“Oh no, Riley. I’m glad you were there to support me. These are things that I’ve been thinking for years.”

“Then I’m glad I could support you.”

The tea was ready and they sipped happily.

“Hana, there’s no real way for me to get justice for what happened tonight is there?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, in the US, I could file a report with the police, possibly press charges against Traiq, or get a restraining order. Here . . . what would I even do? Would anyone even believe me? He’s the one with a real title, not me.”

“Oh Riley, I don’t know! I suppose you could talk to Liam about it.”

“No! I don’t want him to know anything about it. Shit, I should probably tell Drake not to say anything to him.”

“You don’t think Liam should know?”

Riley shook her head. “No, he shouldn’t have to worry about that right now.” Without warning her eyes filled with tears again and she collapsed into Hana’s lap, sobbing. Hana gently stroked her hair and reminded her that she would be alright and that she had her friends to rely on.

When the tears subsided, Riley sat up and looked at her sweet, patient friend. “I’m so sorry for unloading all of this on you.”

“That’s enough of that. You’re my  _ friend _ Riley, and this is what friends do. I have you to thank for teaching me that. In the meantime, we should get to sleep.”

“Thank you again, Hana. I really needed this.”

****************************************

Early the next morning, Maxwell was pounding on the door. “Hana! Help, I can’t find Riley anywhere!”

Hana opened the door, “Good morning Maxwell. Riley slept here tonight, see? She’s perfectly safe.”

“Oh, good! I was worried because . . .,” he stopped himself short. Riley joined them in the doorway. 

“Morning Maxwell, is it already time to go?”

“Yep, Bertrand’s in a hurry to get home. I hope you’re already packed.”

“Well, let me get dressed and I’ll get the bags from my room.”

Riley went into Hana’s bathroom to change and fix her hair. She heard murmurs of Hana and Maxwell talking and hoped Hana wasn’t telling him everything that happened last night. Especially not about . . . Drake! She grabbed her phone to text him.

_ Riley: Maxwell says Bertrand wants to leave right now. I’m sorry I’ll miss our morning ride.  _

_ Drake: i figured you needed the rest _

_ Riley: Also, please don’t tell Liam about Tariq. _

_ Drake: Are you sure? _

_ Riley: Please. _

_ Drake: Alright - it’s not my story to tell. I’m here for whatever you need. _

_ Riley: Thank you _

_ Drake: I should tell Bastien though, because of the door. . . _

_ Riley: That’s fine I guess. _

_ Drake: k _

_ Riley: See you tomorrow then? _

_ Drake: I’ll be there. _

Riley hesitated, wanting to say more . . . but what? In the end, she just left it at that and headed back out into the main room with a smile.

“Alright Maxwell, let’s go. I just need to stop by my room real quick.”

It was harder walking into that room than she expected it to be. A flood of memories came rushing back - memories of fear, anger, anticipation, and tenderness all mixed up. It was overwhelming. And she wanted to turn around and run right back out. Drake and Hana had both been right, this had fucked up her head more than she wanted to admit. Fighting back tears and nausea, she quickly threw the remaining clothes that were left out into her suitcase and packed up quickly. 

Maxwell looked concerned. “Riley, are you okay? You’re not sick, are you?”

She put on her best waitress smile, “No Maxwell, I’m fine. I just . . . had a rough night dealing with some things. Thank you for asking though.”

Suddenly Bertrand was in the doorway with a scowl, “I hope you’re already packed. We’re running late as it is.”

“Late for what? I thought we were just traveling today,” Riley asked, maybe a bit indolently.

“We need to make it home to begin preparations.”

“For the party of the year!” Maxwell added. “Nothing you’ve seen so far will even come close! I hope you’re ready to handle a Beaumont Bash!”

“I’m from New York, Maxwell. I know how to party.”

“Do New York parties have live acrobats, horses, and flaming arrows?”

“Um, what kind of party is this Maxwell?!”

“The best kind!”

Bertrand added, “And even more importantly, this time, you’ll have all of the advantages of hosting the royal court.”

“Tell me more . . .”

“You’ll be able to set the seating arrangements, have first claim on the Prince, and dictate the rules of the evening.”

All of that seemed so insignificant at this point. The competition for Liam felt like a different lifetime and the ability for revenge on Olivia wasn’t even a blip on her radar anymore. But Riley just smiled and said, “Can’t wait.”

***************************

Driving through the duchy of Ramsford reminded Riley of visits to her dad in California as they passed through rolling hills of grape vines. It was an awkward drive as Bertrand reminded her of how high expectations were and Maxwell rambled on about Beaumont Bashes of past years. Riley did not care about any of that anymore. She just wanted to survive the next week and move on to the rest of her life. Riley put on a polite listening face while her brain spiraled out of control. Memories of Tariq, coming toward her and how she froze, how she couldn’t stop him from grabbing her or kissing her. She started wondering if she’d said something in their brief conversations at the Fox Hunt and the Country Jamboree to lead him on. Maybe it really was her fault.

Now, driving through the grapevines, memories of her last visit to California five years before and a party where a guy she didn’t know kept trying to drag her into a bathroom. On the third time, he’d locked the door and pushed her against it, reaching up under her skirt and kissing her. Fortunately, she hadn’t been as drunk as he’d thought she was and she’d managed to shove him off of her. That swirled around with her feelings about her dad. He certainly wouldn’t have believed her if she’d said something about what happened at that party - a party he wanted her to go to, put on by kids of some of his friends and colleagues. It was all a little much. She wished Drake was there with her. Or at the very least, that Bertrand wasn’t there, so she could talk to Maxwell.

“Are you prepared, Riley?” Bertrand was looking at her expectantly. 

Riley hadn’t been listening, so she gave Maxwell a sideways glance and said, “Honestly, I just want to party.” Actually a big party where she could get really drunk sounded perfect right about now.

“Fine, party your little heart out, Riley. But do it in service of House Beaumont. And that means in service of winning over our Prince.”

Maxwell slid over to Riley. “Are you sure you’re okay, Riley. You don’t seem yourself today.”

Riley shook her head and nodded toward Bertrand. Maxwell nodded in understanding and looked out the window just in time to see the Beaumont estate come into view. It was a stunning three story mansion at the top of the hills surrounded by vineyards. It was more modern than she expected. She knew House Beaumont went back more than five hundred years, so she was expecting something more. . . medieval.

“Hey, we’re home!” Maxwell announced with a smile.

When they stepped out of the limo and walked up the steps to a tastefully appointed rustic porch, Riley had to appreciate the view. “Wow . . . this is some fine real estate.”

Bertrand smiled proudly. “It’s beautiful in all its splendor.”

Maxwell dropped into a spot on the outdoor couch. “Ahhhh, the cushion still remembers my shape.”

Riley looked around and noticed one thing that was different than all of the other grand estate’s they had visited. It was deathly quiet. No servants were bustling around to take in their things or hand them a glass of wine. Her eyes darted quickly between Bertrand and Maxwell, neither of whom seemed to be bothered by this fact.

“It’s cozy . . . but it also feels empty for a noble’s estate. Shouldn’t there be, you know, people?” Riley asked carefully.

Bertrand cleared his throat. “To cut costs, the house staff isn’t scheduled until tomorrow, but the caterers and cleaning crew from the event planning company should’ve been here by now.” Bertrand checked his watch and moved inside.

“It’s a big place,” Maxwell said. “You gotta shout to reach them. Hellooooooooooo! We’re home!”

The eerie quiet continued. “Hmmm. Maybe they’re pranking us,” Riley offered.

Bertrand’s face pinched into a scowl. “The company I hired has one of the highest reputations for professionalism and service to the nobility. So, no, they are not  _ pranking _ us.”

“It was just a thought.”

“Something isn’t right.”

After a brief search around the ground floor of the estate, Riley heard Bertrand’s shout from the great room. “WHAT?!”

Riley and Maxwell came running in from different directions.

“What happened?” Maxwell asked, looking particularly anxious.

“They backed out of the event,” Bertrand announced.

“Huh? Why would they do that?” Maxwell looked panicked.

“It appears . . . there was a . . . ah . . . a paperwork issue. A logistical hiccup, it seems. And rather than wait for our arrival, they cancelled. This is going to be a disaster.”

Riley looked around, “Well, there’s got to be something we can do. This isn’t the first time the crew we hired hasn’t shown up.”

“Don’t remind me . . .”

“I’m just saying we can pull through if we work together.”

“I suppose you’re right. There’s no alternative except to cover for this mess before the entire royal court arrives tomorrow.”

And with that, Bertrand barked out some orders and the three of them split up to start the tasks. Maxwell went off to make some calls, Bertrand went to order flowers and Riley went to the kitchen to figure out the food.

In the kitchen, Riley took a mental inventory and looked for some appetizer recipes online. She was not a great cook. Growing up in New York with thousands of restaurants, it was never really a skill she needed. And looking over the shelves of fancy food, Riley knew she was way out of her depth. Soon, Maxwell came in to join her.

“Calls have been made, so now I can concentrate on food. Any culinary ideas?”

“All of this stuff looks fancy, and . . . I have no idea what to do with any of it. I mean, I can make a sandwich, or some mac and cheese, but I don't even know what most of this stuff even is.”

“The fancier the stuff, the less you have to do! Just dump it on a plate and call it ‘deconstructed’!”

“Oh my gosh, you’re a genius.”

“That you, thank you. I’m glad someone recognizes my brilliance.”

“I’ll grab the caviar and some other stuff to go with it. You get some fancy serving spoons!”

Riley searched the drawers. There were six drawers for forks alone and five for spoons. She picked out some spoons that looked sort of like what she had seen appetizers served on at one of the royal balls.

She brought them back and noticed that Maxwell seemed a little down. “Hey, I’m sorry the crew bailed. I can’t believe that happened again.”

“Yeah, me too. Bertrand told me he had everything covered and not to ask questions, but I’m sure this is somehow my fault.”

“Maxwell, you shouldn’t take the blame for everything. Bertrand is at least as much to blame, if not more so, than you

“He knows that. He’s even harder on himself.”

“That’s not an excuse for him to berate you. Stand up to him.”

“It’s not that simple. Look, I appreciate your concern over my relationship with Bertrand . . . but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

“You sure? I’m here if you ever need to talk.”

“Thanks, but we should focus on these appetizers. We’ve got a party to prepare.”

Maxwell looked at the ingredients spread out in front of him and started combining things. The final result was caviar topped with herbs and paprika. Riley didn’t know much about caviar, but that sounded. . . unconventional. 

They worked quietly assembling the . . . creative appetizers, both absorbed in their own troubles. In fact, it was a little too quiet and very un-Maxwell-like Riley finally broke the silence. “Hey, by the way . . . where are these friends you called?”

“Oh, you know, all of them said they were busy, or they couldn’t make it, or that something came up. I couldn’t even get ahold of Tariq . . . not that he’d even know which end of a broom to hold . . .” Riley’s head spun and she suddenly had the urge to vomit. Her hands shook as unwelcome images flooded her brain. She stepped back with her hands on the counter, stretching her back. She dropped her head down and took four deep, measured breaths. At least he wasn't coming! Hopefully he wouldn't come to the Bash tomorrow either.

Maxwell looked and saw Riley’s reaction and threw his arm around her shoulder with a light squeeze, “But don’t worry! We can do it together. . . Probably.” 

Riley smiled weakly at him and nodded as they went back to making appetizers. She thought for a moment that she should probably tell Maxwell what had happened with Tariq, but it seemed like he had enough to deal with and she really didn’t want to relive the whole thing right there in the kitchen. Especially not when they had so much work to do.

“Teamwork makes the dream work,” she said.

“Ooh, that could be our new house motto!”

“What’s your house motto right now?”

“I think something about vendettas and giant squid.”

“Squid?”

“We used to be sea-faring people.”

“Sea-faring people that live in wine country?”

Maxwell just shrugged.

Just then, the door opened, “Hello? Anyone in here?” a familiar voice called out. Riley’s heart skipped a beat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this one is short, but that was the most natural POV transition. Also, I'm always bothered by how quickly Riley seems to forget about what happened with Tariq. Or maybe she's just really good at compartmentalizing? Anyway, I think our girl deserves a chance to process everything.


	20. The Beaumont Study

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drake arrives in Ramsford to help set-up for the Beaumont Bash. Bertrand and Maxwell are hiding something, and when Drake and Riley investigate, they find themselves alone in the Beaumont Study.

Drake arrived at Beaumont estate in Ramsford two hours after Maxwell’s phone call. He wasn’t quite sure how he should act around Riley today, but he would still do anything if it meant helping her. He wandered around the deserted estate for a bit before finding Bertrand on his hands and knees scrubbing the floors. That was . . . surprising. 

“Good morning, Bertrand. Maxwell said you needed help.”

“He called  _ you _ ?”

Drake narrowed his eyes. “I can leave if I’m not wanted. Although Maxwell sounded desperate.”

“Yes, yes. Unfortunately we  _ do _ need the help. Maxwell and Riley are in the kitchen, perhaps you can assist.”

Drake actually enjoyed cooking, but not the kind of fancy food that gets served at balls and fancy parties. But, if that was where he was needed, that’s where he would be. Anger flared in him that, once again the Beaumonts had failed Riley and she was having to do more than anyone should. He made his way downstairs to the kitchen and looked around. “Hello? Anyone in here?”

Riley’s eyes met his and lit up when she saw him, “Drake?!”

Is she really surprised he was there for her? He’d been there every step of the way

Maxwell grinned too. “Drake! Drake! Drake! You came!”

“Yeah, yeah. Calm down, it’s not that big of a deal,” he said, trying to look anywhere but at Riley who was still beaming at him.

“Yes, it is! We  _ are _ friends!”

“You promised me whiskey.”

“Friendship whiskey!” Ok Maxwell, tone down the exclamation points.

“Drake, you made it!” Riley squealed, throwing her arms around him.

“Yeah, yeah, behold your knight in shining armor.” He gently pushed her back, but gave her a smile anyway. “Alright, I’m here now. What needs to be done?”

“Riley and I are plating some fancy appetizers. Come join us . . .”

Drake joined them behind the counter, keeping Maxwell between them. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be next to her, but he just didn’t trust himself around her anymore. He had already crossed too many lines and needed to remember that she was still one of Liam’s suitors and he was still a commoner. More than that, Liam was crazy about her. The small voice in the back of his head protested that Drake was also crazy about her, but too many years of hanging around Liam told him how this story ended and the last thing he needed was to forget that. Drake tried to focus on the appetizers in front of them instead of brooding about his feelings like a sixteen year old.

With all three of them working, they made quick work of the caviar paprika horror that Maxwell had invented and soon they had dozens of trays full and chilling in the giant refrigerator. With the last tray done, Maxwell announced, “I think we need a good name for these. Maybe ‘Jewels of the Sea.’”

Riley snorted, “Why not name it ‘Stuffy Rich Person Food’?”

Drake looked over at her over Maxwell’s head. “I didn’t know you were funny, Riley,” he said with a smirk.

“I’m hilarious,” she said grinning back at him, causing him to break into a grin and shake his head.

“That’s too on the nose,” Maxwell said thoughtfully. Thankfully, he seemed oblivious to the overt flirtation between Drake and Riley. “Everyone who eats this will know they’re consuming stuffy food, but they can’t openly admit it. ‘Jewels of the Sea’ it is then.” They finished up the last tray and Maxwell started to look for ingredients to be used in a main course.

“Do you even know how to cook from scratch?” Drake asked as Maxwell started pulling out steaks.

“Well . . .” Typical. None of these nobles knew how to do anything for themselves. Maxwell’s phone vibrated and he checked the message. “Oh, thank heavens. Bertrand found another catering company to handle the main courses. Let me tell you, nobody would’ve wanted the science experiments I was about to produce.”

“Dodged a bullet there,” Drake said looking at the steaks Maxwell was returning to the fridge and glad they wouldn’t be ruined.

“What’s next on the ‘We’re in Panic Mode’ list?” Riley asked 

“Hmmm . . . I should stay here and clean the kitchen, but Bertrand might need help in the main hall.”

“I’ll stay here and help Maxwell. We’ll come find you once we finish down here,” Drake said quickly. Riley’s face fell slightly, but she nodded and turned to leave.

Drake and Maxwell started cleaning. Things were definitely off in the Beaumont house today, and Drake wanted to know what. “So, you wanna explain why there are no caterers, no cleaning crew, and no household staff here to do the work?”

“Oh, um, Bertrand said it was a paperwork . . . misunderstanding.”

“The same misunderstanding that had your yacht crew quit at the last minute too?”

“Um, that was, you know how things go sometimes.”

“You know Riley deserves a lot better than this, right?”

“I know Drake! I wish things were different, but it’s complicated and Bertrand is handling it.”

“Fine, but this is the last time I’m coming to save your ass.”

“Good thing it’s the last event then, right?”

Drake frowned at Maxwell. 

“Look, I’m sorry. I appreciate that you’ve really been there for us this season. I meant it when I said we’re friends.”

“I’m not doing it for you.”

Maxwell looked hard at Drake for a minute. “Has Liam said anything to you? About who he might choose?”

Drake swallowed hard. “Yeah Maxwell. He’s completely head over heels for Riley. He plans to ask for approval to propose.”

“Really? That’s great!”

“Yes, your house reputation will be saved and maybe your ‘paperwork’ problems will all go away.”

“And Liam can marry someone he actually loves! See! I told you this was a great idea!”

At that moment Drake wanted to be anywhere but in that kitchen with Maxwell. “Um, Maxwell, it’s pretty cleaned up in here. Maybe we should go find something else to do.”

“Oh yeah, good idea! Team Beaumont, break!

Drake hesitated in the hallway, not wanting to get in the middle of Bertrand and Maxwell. Soon, Maxwell and Riley went off to dust and Bertrand demanded Drake bring in the delivery of flowers and take them to the ballroom. After that, he had to get the fancy vases out of a storage closet. After bringing everything into the ballroom, Bertrand appeared. 

“Drake! There you are. Each table needs a floral arrangement. Now, I can’t imagine that you have any experience, but perhaps you could recreate this image.” Drake looked at the picture Bertrand showed him and looked at the vases and flowers at his disposal.

“Are you sure you want me arranging flowers, Bertrand? I could . . .”

“You came to help, and this is what we need for help right now,” Bertrand snapped. “I’m not under any delusion that this is ideal, but I trust that you can manage something as simple as putting flowers in a vase.” With that Bertrand spun on his heel and stalked to the other side of the ball room, carefully arranging place settings. He got a phone call, and with a furtive look at Drake, walked into the Study, which happened to be just down the hall off the ballroom. Drake turned his attention to the flowers and almost didn’t notice when Riley and Maxwell came in or that Bertrand had returned.

“It’s looking great,” Riley said with a smile.

“Thank you. Maxwell, these tables in the back corner are ready for napkins. Can you help?” Bertrand asked. Huh. So apparently the Duke of Ramsford  _ does _ ask rather than give orders on occasion.

“On it!”

“Lady Riley, if you could assist Drake?”

“Sure!” Riley said with a touch too much enthusiasm.

He felt her presence, but refused to look up. “Why Drake, I never knew you had such flair with peonies.”

He kept his eyes locked on the flowers, not wanting to see her and let all his resolve to stay away melt the second he looked in her eyes. “The things I do for you people.”

From the corner of his eye, he saw Riley sigh and start working on the next table. He instantly felt bad for pushing her away. “Hey, are you okay?”

Riley looked at him gratefully. “I am. I mean, I’m not great and my head’s been all over the place, but it helps to focus on this. In a weird way, I’m glad the crew didn’t show up. I’d probably be overthinking in my room, but this gives me something to do. With the added bonus of seeing you a day early.”

Then a quiet argument between Maxwell and Bertrand caught his attention. Something was definitely off. He shifted so that he was right behind Riley and lowered his voice to whisper to her, “Hey . . . anything about any of this seem off to you?”

“Huh?”

Drake nodded toward the brothers. They leaned in to hear better and caught some whispers about money in a shared account. Bertrand was blaming Maxwell for missing funds. Bertrand growled about needing more napkins and they went back to work. Drake gave Riley a questioning look. “Well? Doesn’t it seem like something weird is going on?”

“There is something suspicious going on in House Beaumont,” Riley acknowledged.

“Exactly.”

“I knew they were broke, but I wonder what’s actually going on with their money issues.”

“I’m going to find out what it is. Besides, it sounds like Maxwell might be in over his head this time. I think he really needs my help. But knowing him, he’d never ask.”

“I didn’t realize you and Maxwell were that close. And he always asks for your help.”

“He asks to help you, not him. After all the time I’ve spent with him in the past weeks, I’m starting to find him less annoying”

“High praise.”

“Besides, we scrubbed the kitchen cabinets together. I think I’m invested now.”

“Actually , Drake . . . there’s something else we should talk about. About last night . . .”

“Last night?!” Drake felt his heart rate tick up. He knew it had been a mistake to tell her anything. 

“What you said . . about how you feel . . .” 

Drake’s eyes darted to the other side of the room where Maxwell and Bertrand were still setting places. “Riley . . . I don’t think we should talk about this here.” Her eyes flicked over to the Beaumont brothers.

“Then somewhere private?” she asked suggestively.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“Why not?” Riley had moved very close to him. He was having a hard time remembering why it was a bad idea. In fact, it was starting to sound like a very good idea after all. 

“The way you look at me, sometimes, Brooks. If we’re alone again together, I’m not sure I’ll be ale to stop myself from doing something stupid.” God, it was all he could do to stop himself from doing something stupid right here and now.

“Drake . . .” She brushed her hand lightly against his and looked at him through dark lashes.

Suddenly, the tension was broken by . . . Bertrand, “Drake! Riley!”

Riley jumped at the sound of her name and sprang away from Drake, spinning to face Bertrand.

“Eep! Er, I men, yes?”

“Why are you two standing around chatting like ladies at an afternoon tea? You both said you’d help, so help!”

Drake glared back at Bertrand, “Right away, Duke Ramsford.” He had half a mind to walk out right then, and take Riley with him. Riley just turned and went back to arranging flowers.

“Yeah. Of course.” She gave Drake a longing look and went back to work. Drake looked up and noticed that Bertrand and Maxwell were gone. He wondered where they went, but also saw this as an opportunity to get some answers. If the Beaumonts had secrets, he could probably find something out in their study. He abruptly walked away from his table, crossed the room and into the hall and then quietly into the Beaumont study.

Thankfully, neither Bertrand nor Maxwell were in there, but he would have just made an excuse about needing more vases or something. He started searching the bookcase for anything that seemed out of place. He heard someone come in behind him and he spun around quickly, trying to think of an excuse to be in there.

“Drake, what are you doing back here?”

It was Riley. And now they were alone. “Brooks! So you followed me, huh? This is the Beaumont study.”

“How’d you even know this was here?”

“I used to come to this house a lot, back in the day. We ran in the same circles, being friends with Liam and all that. My sister, Savannah, used to think the Beaumont brothers were the epitome of courtly life. She practically worshipped them.”

“And you didn’t.”

That’s an understatement. “I found them to be more of an acquired taste.”

Riley’s gave him a wry smile with her eyes sparkling, “You mean they both annoyed the hell out of you.”

“Yup. Pretty much. I mean people talk about when Bertrand was ‘fun’ a few years back, but to me he’s always been an insufferable asshole. And, well, you’ve met Maxwell.”

“He grows on you.”

“Whatever you say, Brooks. Whenever I got tired of their antics, I’d sneak off and come here to their study.”

“So, you were the life of the party even back then.”

“Ha ha. Whenever Savannah found me here, she would try to get me to join in on the fun. I don’t even know where she is now.”

Riley came a bit closer. “You don’t have any way of finding her?”

“She stopped answering my calls and deleted all of her social media. Wherever she is, all I know is that she doesn’t want to be found. Even by me.” He took a deep breath. “And you know what? I don’t blame her. I failed her. I don’t even know how, but I know that I failed her. I didn’t protect her from . . . from whatever it was that made her leave.”

“Drake, I’m sure you did everything you could.”

“I’ve spent hours trying to figure out if I could’ve done something different. If I could’ve done more.”

“Do you have any idea what it was about?”

“She was so happy . . and then one day, after one of these Beaumont parties, she wasn’t. She locked herself in her room and I could hear her crying. A couple days later, all of her things were packed, and she was just . . . gone. But . . . that’s enough about that.”

Drake pulled himself away from Riley’s sympathetic gaze and crossed the room to keep searching.

Riley looked around the room, running her fingers across the books and looking at the pictures.

“So, this is the Beaumont study? I expected more party hats. I mean . . . Maxwell lives here, so I figured . . .”

“It is on the serious side isn’t it? I don’t think they changed it after their father died. The former Duke Ramsford made it a point to decorate it with the family’s accomplishments.” Drake saw her take in the ribbons and medals from various competitions from the Beaumonts’ childhood. “As you can see, the Beaumont family has a lot to brag about.”

“I guess Bertrand and Maxwell had a habit of winning.”

“A family tradition.”

“I can see why Bertrand is always so worried about upholding the Beaumont name.”

“Their house goes back a long way. I could never pity a rich kid like Bertrand, but I come very close to it sometimes. He’s got a lot of pressure on him. I think his parents gave him a lot of talks about his heritage and Cordonia. He was only seventeen when he had to take on the role of Duke. And it’s not like Maxwell’s much help with anything.”

“Maxwell tries. Sometimes.”

“Heh. Maxwell’s always been more interested in having fun. He couldn’t care less about prestige and honor. That’s one of the things I like about him actually.” Drake had stopped looking for evidence and Riley had turned back to him to listen to his story. She was a really good listener. He’d never met anyone that gave him their full attention the way she did. Of course, no one other than Liam had ever really cared what he had to say.

Liam deserved someone like her, and she deserved everything that Liam could offer her. Drake realized he was staring at her and quickly looked away.

“Drake. We need to talk about ‘us’,” she said firmly. Why could she not just let it go? Let him deal with it on his own and go live happily ever after with Liam. Continuing to talk about it just made it hurt more. She knew he had feelings for her, what more did she want to know?

“There is no us.”

“Drake, I don’t think you mean that.”

He took in a deep breath. If she wanted it all on the table, then fine, let’s do this. “The truth is that my best friend is head over heels for you. So it doesn’t really matter how I feel. Because that's where it has to end. Liam is the only one who’s ever looked out for me. The only one who gave a damn about me after my dad . . . after he was gone. The rest of the court was ready to cast us out, never mind that he died protecting the royal family.”

“Drake, I’m sorry. That’s terrible.”

“I didn’t care much, but my mom and Savannah . . . it would’ve devastated them. Liam made sure we had a place at the palace as long as we wanted one. I could never betray him by falling for his girl. So that’s what it all comes down to, Brooks. Whatever I feel . . it doesn’t matter.”

“Drake, what about how I feel?” 

“How you feel . . . of course I care about how you feel. I just didn’t think . . .”

“Nobody seems to think to ask me how I feel or what I want. Not Liam. Not Maxwell or Bertrand and not you! Hana is the only person who has once asked how I feel about any of this ridiculousness. You didn’t think I meant what I’ve said this whole time when I told you that I’m NOT Liam’s girl? When I told you less than twenty-four hours ago that I care about YOU?”

“I mean . . . what are you saying, Brooks?”

“I’m saying I want  _ you _ .”

Drake’s resolve crumbled until there was nothing left. If she really wanted him and not Liam . . .

“Oh, Brooks . . . you shouldn’t have said that.” He took a deep, shaking breath and looked at her. She was right there, and willing . . .

“Drake . . .”

He hadn’t even consciously moved, but suddenly he was halfway across the room, holding her close and her mouth crashed against his and the whole earth tilted on its axis and turned upside down. All too quickly, she pulled back, searching his eyes.

“Brooks . . .”

“Yes?”

“I’ve wanted this for so long . . .” He tightened his arm around Riley’s waist and pulled her tight against him. His other hand pulled the back of her head to his and his mouth found hers. The kiss was electric. She eagerly responded to his every move, their tongues meeting feverishly. He ran his hand up and down her body, taking in every curve, until he settled them on her hips, pulling her firmly against him, his thumbs running against the skin just above her jeans. Riley tugged on his shirt, pulling him ever closer. Soon, the electricity that seemed between them settled into a burning fire. It was by far the most passionate kiss of his life and he never wanted it to end.

Finally, needing to breathe, they broke the kiss, but he was afraid if he stopped it wouldn’t be real. He kissed along her jaw and down her neck, she moaned his name in response, increasing his arousal. He kissed her neck up to her ear and whispered, “I didn’t think this would ever be more than a fantasy.”

“Are you saying that you’ve thought about this before?”

She smiled and pressed her lips to his in another fiery kiss. None of his fantasies had even come close to this. He smiled against her mouth and broke the kiss. “More than I’d like to admit.” He pulled her back in for another deep kiss. He wanted her more than he had wanted any woman. He needed her. He shifted and pushed her back toward the desk, ready to lift her up onto it. Then reality came crashing in and he pulled back abruptly.

They were at the Beaumont’s and Bertrand or Maxwell could walk in at any minute.

“What’s wrong?” Riley gasped. They were both a little breathless and flushed.

“Someone could come in here . . . One of them might come looking for us . . . We shouldn’t just . . .”

His eyes swept over her again. She looked even more beautiful with her eyes wide and darkened with desire and a bright flush on her cheeks. He shook his head and reached out to cup her face in his hand.

“Even without a drop of whiskey, why do I feel drunk when I’m around you, Brooks.”

“Drake . . .” She relaxed into his hand and beamed at him, eyes shining with affection.

He dropped his hand and stepped back, knowing he had crossed so far over the line with her there was no going back. How could he ever look Liam in the eye again. Guilt settled over him like a weight.

“Don’t smile at me like that. I don’t deserve it. We shouldn’t be doing this. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“Well, you’re probably right that this isn’t a good idea right here and now, I certainly don’t want Bertrand walking in on us . . . but Drake, we  _ should _ be doing this. We both want it.” She was close to him again, pressing her chest against his, her hand running down his arm. Drake’s head spun and he couldn’t think clearly.

Drake stared at her, unsure of what the next move should be.

Riley continued since Drake wasn’t saying anything. “I’ll drop out of the official competition. Maybe if I just tell Liam I’m not interested, he can pick someone else and no one else needs to know why.”

“No,” Drake said, maybe a bit too forcefully. “I’m not letting you do that for me.”

Riley’s eyes narrowed at him. “Remember what I said about no one asking me what I want? Don’t make that mistake again.”

Drake looked away. “Brooks, it’s probably not safe to talk about this here.”

Riley looked around, “Should we leave?”

“Soon . . . but we came in here with a mission, didn’t we?”

“Something about searching for clues to the Beaumont mystery, I think?”

“Right,” Drake said, shaking the haze from their make-out session from his brain. He looked down at the desk they were standing next to and his hand landed on an envelope. “Whoa!”

“What is it?”

Drake picked it up and examined it. There were thousands of euros in it. “If I’m not mistaken, this is a fat envelope full of cash!”

“That’s . . . that’s what that is, all right. But why is it just here in the study?”

“There’s an address on the back . . . a French address! It looks like someone was going to mail this today.” Drake took a picture of the address on his phone, just in case.

“Drake . . This has got to be the missing money that Bertrand was talking about! Did Maxwell know it was here the whole time? Let’s take it to him and ask!”

“Really? You want to trust Maxwell Beaumont with an envelope of cash?”

“Well, I don’t like Bertrand, so . . . yeah. I’ll text him to meet us here.”

“Uh huh. And why, exactly are we in here alone together snooping around?”

“Looking for . . . more napkins? To wipe the lipstick off your neck?” She smirked at him.

Drake panicked for a second, his hand flying up to scrub away the evidence and Riley laughed in delight. “Relax Drake, I’m not even wearing lipstick today.” She lowered her voice, “But next time, you might want to check.”

“Brooks . . .” he groaned. But he didn’t say there wouldn’t be a next time.

Seconds later, Maxwell popped in. “What’s up? Your text sounded serious.”

“This is serious,” Riley replied. “Drake and I were in here, and we found this envelope full of cash!”

Maxwell looked uneasily between them and the envelope in Drake’s hand. “Oh, uh, wow! That . . . that must be the money that Bertrand was looking for. Thank you. You guys saved my life. Bertrand was ready to kill me over this.”

“No problem.”

“I think it’s too late to get the staff back, but at least we found it!”

“But . . . how do you think the money ended up here?”

“Oh, you know, it’s been so crazy lately . . . Bertrand probably put it here to give to the staff and then forgot about it or something.”   
  


Drake wasn’t buying it. Maxwell was definitely hiding something. “I don’t think Bertrand would forget something like that . . .” he pushed.

Maxwell’s eyes darted away, “Yeah, I’ll have to talk to him about it.”

“You know you can always tell us if you’re in some kind of trouble,” Drake added. Riley nodded enthusiastically.

“Oh, no more than usual. Anyway, thanks for finding it! I owe you guys. But now we better get back to work before Bertrand realizes we’ve stopped cleaning.”

Drake and Riley walked to the door, and Maxwell stayed behind. When they were clear of the study, Drake glanced back. Why would Bertrand put the money for the staff in an envelope with a French address on it? It made no sense. “Something is off. You getting that feeling too?”

“Yeah . . .” Riley said sadly. He knew she and Maxwell were close and his suspicious behavior made her sad. “It seems like Maxwell might be hiding something.”

“And I want to know what it is.” Drake checked the photo of the address on his phone to make sure it came out clearly. Maybe he would ask Bastien to help him look into it.

“Maybe we’ll find more clues while we’re prepping the house?”

“We’ll see. Keep an eye out, but try not to be obvious about it.”

“Right. Queen of Subtlety.” The word queen made his stomach clench. 

They went separate ways back in the ballroom, which was good. The problem with all of this talk about feelings and actually kissing her was that now he wanted to do it all the time. Drake tried to keep his focus on flower arrangements, but still managed to sneak glances at Riley. She was doing the same and a few times, their eyes met and he would end up grinning like an idiot. Maybe there would be time to revisit their . . . conversation . . . later.

When the ballroom was ready, the sun had already set. Drake got his room assignment from Maxwell and went to retrieve his bag from the car. On his way out, he saw one of the royal cars pull up and Liam get out. He knew that the court was not supposed to arrive until tomorrow and was just glad they had finished cleaning.

“Drake!” Liam called. “I’m surprised to see you here. I thought you were going back to the capital today.”

“I was until Maxwell called needing help.”

“Oh! I hope my early arrival won’t throw them off too much then.”

“Nope. I think everything is ready now.”

“Good, I was hoping to surprise Riley. I had an idea to have dinner with her . . . like a real date.”

“That sounds like a great idea. I’m sure she’ll love it.” Drake felt the earth shift again, back to how it used to be. Riley and Liam having a romantic dinner together wasn’t what he had been picturing just a few minutes ago.

“Are you alright, Drake?” Drake noticed his hands had tightened into fists. He forced them to relax.

“Um, yeah. I just have some things to deal with. Guess I’ve been a little tense.”

Liam searched his eyes. Drake wasn’t surprised that he hadn’t convinced Liam. He never lied to Liam and never kept anything from him. He half expected Liam to read him like a book and demand to know why Drake had kissed his future wife. But of course, he didn’t.

“If you’re sure. See you for breakfast?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

With that, Liam went up to the manor and Drake went to his truck. He grabbed his bag, but didn’t immediately return to the manor. He really didn’t want to see Liam and Riley together right now. Deciding to change destinations, he threw his bag back into the truck he walked off into the vineyard.


	21. Playing Princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riley and Drake try to figure out what comes next for them, but the course of true love never did run smooth. Riley reluctantly prepares for the Beaumont Bash and dines with royalty.

Riley paced around her room. Why had Liam come here early? She knew  _ why _ , but it just seemed like the worst timing ever. It had felt almost cruel to turn him down when all he was trying to do was get to know her better. A month ago, she would have been thrilled with this offer to get to know him better without balcony hot tubs and secluded waterfalls. But wouldn’t it be even more cruel to lead him on? Maybe after the Beaumont Bash, she could talk to him. She certainly wasn’t going to marry him, so he should probably know that ahead of time. Maybe she should have gone on the date and explained things then. Where would that leave her? On the first plane back to New York? Would Liam let her stay in Cordonia? What would she even do here if she was not a guest of the nobility, get a job in a restaurant?

Riley’s eyes fell on her phone. Drake hadn’t texted her, which meant he was still up. She was sure Maxwell and Bertrand had gone to bed, but now with Liam here, she’d have to be even more careful. She grabbed her phone.

_ Riley: Hey, where are you? _

_ Drake: Walking around the vineyard. Heading back to the manor now. _

_ Riley: No, stay where you are. I’m coming. _

That was actually perfect. She threw on a jacket and grabbed a blanket and quietly slipped out the back door of the manor and practically ran down to the rows of grapevines. She glanced behind her and saw that there were no lights on and breathed a sigh of relief. She walked past eight rows of grapevines before she found Drake staring up at the stars.

“Hey Drake.”

He turned to look at her and gave her a sad smile. “How was your dinner date?”

Ah, so that’s what the sad eyes were about. “You mean the one Liam invited me to that I declined? No idea.”

“Brooks. . . why would you do that?”

“Maybe because I’d just had this super hot first kiss with this guy I’ve been crushing on for months. It seemed disingenuous to go on a date with his best friend.”

“ _ First _ kiss, huh?”   


She smiled and nodded, looking up at him. “Of many.”

“Is that so?”

Drake slipped one strong arm around her waist and pulled her in, gently brushing his lips against hers.

“Mmmmm,” Riley purred happily. “Do that again.”

He obliged, kissing her more deeply this time. Unlike earlier, which was all fiery passion, this was sweet and tender. It made her feel lightheaded, like she was floating. When they pulled apart Drake’s eyes swept over her.

“What’s the blanket for?”

“Last time I followed you out into the night you pushed me down in the snow. This time I came prepared.” Riley spread the blanket on the ground between the vines and sat down. With a small chuckle Drake joined her. “So, what were you doing out here?”

“Looking at the stars again.”

“Are you a secret romantic, Drake.”

“Not a chance. But, it’s always been the best way to clear my head. It’s like if I look long enough, the answers are there.”

“Okay.” Riley laid down so she could see the stars clearly above her and reached for Drake’s hand. He laid down next to her and laced their hands together. “What do you see, then?”

“Brooks. . .” he squeezed her hand. “I’m not sure I see a happy ending here. What I said earlier about not letting myself betray Liam . . . that’s still true. I can’t explain it, but I’ll always choose his happiness over mine.”

“It’s a little late for that, don’t ya think?”

Drake inhaled sharply and shook his head. “No. There’s still a week before the Coronation.”

“Drake. You want Liam to marry for love and not just political reasons, right?”

“Exactly.”

“Then that’s not me. I’m not in love with Liam. If he chooses me, he’ll just be stuck in a one sided marriage. He might not see it right away, but the infatuation will wear off and he’ll realize it was a mistake and we’ll both be stuck and miserable.”

“Nah Brooks. You haven’t known Liam that long. You say you’re not in love with him now, but you could be. Will be.”

“I don’t see that happening. I told you I want you and I meant it.”

“That story’s not in the stars Brooks.”

“It is if we write it that way. There’s no way for all three of us to come out of this with the happy ending, but two out of three is a hell of a lot better than all three of us being unhappy.”

“The two out of three could be you and Liam. And if you two are happy, I’m happy.”

“What makes you so certain I would fall in love with Liam?”

“History.”

“That makes no sense. If anything it’s gone the opposite way”

“Give it time Brooks. It’s how this story always plays out.”

Riley had no idea what he was talking about. Her history with Liam was frustrating at best. She’d been here weeks and months and every day it had only become more clear to her that Drake was the one for her. Maybe not having any lifelong friends herself made it hard to understand the depth of loyalty Drake had for Liam.

“I am . . . worried about a few things though.”

“Okay?”

“If I’m not part of this suitor competition, what happens to me? Do I have to go back home?”

“I suppose that depends on the circumstances. Technically, you lose your visa. . . and the support of the Beaumonts, not that they’ve done what they should have in that regard. I mean, you could always apply for Cordonian citizenship if you wanted to stay, but I don’t really know what happens then.”

“But I still don’t really have a place here? Do I?”

Drake turned his face to look at her. “If I know anything about you Brooks, it’s that you will find a way. I have absolute faith that you will find your place here, if here is where you want to be. Or should I tell you it’s impossible so you feel compelled to prove me wrong?”

Riley laughed. “Yeah, you know me alright.”

“Believe it or not, I’m sort of trying to figure out the same thing.”

“What do you mean? You’ve lived here most of your life. You already have a place.”

“I’m . . . not sure how much longer that place will exist. It’s time I figure some things out for myself.”

“Sounds like a good starting point for both of us.” 

They sat quietly for a while, hand in hand, enjoying the night sky. Finally Riley broke the silence, “What if we talk to Liam together?”

“I dunno . . .”

“Then help me leave. You said you would.”

“Brooks . . .”

“I’m serious Drake. I don’t want to play princess anymore.”

“We can’t just hurt Liam like that . . .”

“So what? I should marry him just to avoid hurting his feelings? Fuck that. He’s a big boy Drake, he’ll get over one rejection.”

“Still feels like betraying my best friend.”

“Well, it’s not all about you, ya know. Even if you weren’t a factor, I don’t want this. I don’t want to be a fucking queen. I decided that long before you kissed me today. In fact, you’re the main reason I’m still here.”

“You don’t even know what you’re saying. As queen, you could have whatever you want. I can’t give you any of that. I have nothing of my own. Literally nothing.”

“Maybe I don’t need you to give me anything. We could do it together Drake.”

“You say that like it’s easy.”

“I didn’t say anything about ‘easy’. I said together. Look, you can continue pretending there is no us, but there is. There always has been. If you don’t want to admit it, then maybe . . . maybe you were right after all. There’s nothing for me here, I should just go home.”

“Brooks . . .”

“Forget it Drake.” Riley got up and started walking back to the manor. Why was he so intent on pushing her away? How many times did she have to tell him she wasn’t going to marry Liam? But if he wasn’t willing to do this with her, then it would never work, no matter how much she wanted it to. 

He was following her now. “I can do this through tomorrow,” she said looking back at him, but continuing her march back to the manor. “I’ll host the damn Beaumont Bash, and then on Monday, I’ll fly back to New York. Please tell your  _ best friend _ I said thank you for the hospitality.”

“Riley!” She didn’t want to hear any more tonight about Liam or being queen, so she kept walking. She only let one tear fall.

*************

The next morning Maxwell and Bertrand both came to wake her up.

“Rise and shine, our little budding princess!” She wanted to throw something at Maxwell. If she heard one more word about being a fucking princess, she wouldn’t even make it to Monday.

“Yes,” Bertrand added, “up, up up! Today’s the big day. We’ve prepared the house from top to bottom and now, for the final step. Preparing our representative lady.”

“Let me guess . . .” Riley mentally tallied up what she had left on her credit cards and cringed. Without income all summer, it was going to be really hard to pay it all off. But this was it. Something for today and a plane ticket home. . . where she would need to find a new place, and a new job. 

“Go, go, go. Maxwell, make sure she’s presentable.” Thank goodness for Bertrand’s abruptness, she had almost started crying.

“Right away!”

Maxwell led Riley into the huge walk-in closet where a single dress hung. It was a giant Cinderella monstrosity. Riley preferred simple, sleek dresses, but this was . . . 

“This is quite the . . . uh, selection. It looks like my friend Stephanie’s quinceanera dress.”

“I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but it’s all we could get ahold of. I thought it’d make you look like the princess you’re destined to be! The local dress shop said they’ll charge it to us if we want to keep it. I think we do . . .”

Well, apparently she wouldn’t have to pay for it. “Alright . . . I’ll try it on.”

Riley put it on and couldn’t help but laugh. She had never been the kind of girl obsessed with Disney princesses, but here she was, dressed up like a real life Cinderella.

“I await my magical pumpkin carriage,” Riley said in a flat tone.

A confused look crossed Maxwell's face. “Hm, fresh out of pumpkins, but I can offer you a paprika-and-caviar appetizer.”

Despite her irritation, Riley smiled. “That works.”

“You look stunning by the way. . .”

“Thank you.”

“We’re going to throw the BEST PARTY EVEEEEEEEEEEEEEER! But you might want to take it off for now because we have a spaaaaaaaa day.”

“Really? Thank god!”

“Yep, let’s get you into hair and make-up.”

“And massages right?”

“Anything for the next queen of Cordonia!”

By the time they returned to the Beaumont manor, Riley had had her nails, hair, and make-up professionally done and with the giant ballgown back on, she felt nothing like herself. It was strange to think that this is how every day would feel if she agreed to marry Liam. With a heavy sigh, and one last look at the strange woman in the mirror, she mentally prepared herself to be ‘Lady Riley’ for the evening. She met Maxwell in the hall outside her room. “Riley, guess what time it is.”

“Time to impress?”

“Oh, look at you! You look fantastic! Way to represent House Beaumont!”

“Well, it’s a big night. I don’t want to miss a thing.”

“If he were here, Bertrand might actually shed a tear.”

“Right before ordering me to do something else.”

“Actually, he beat you to it. He already ordered me to escort you.”

“Escort me where?”

“It’s a surprise!”

Maxwell led her to the boutique and made some lame excuse and then ran away. She had a sinking feeling she knew why she was there. 

“Just wait here,” Maxwell said. “I need to oversee a few adjustments to the ballroom decorations. Be your charming self in here.”

Riley turned to find . . . Liam.

“Liam!”

“Lady Riley, what a coincidence running into you.”

“It’s interesting. I was told to wait here, even though I’m already dressed.”

“I think perhaps  _ someone _ is trying to give us time alone together.”

“Well, it seems the Beaumonts are more wily than I thought.”

“I appreciate House Beaumont’s wiliness . . . There’s no one else I’d rather be left alone with.” Except for her there was. Despite how much Drake frustrated her, trying to push her away, she wished more than anything that it was him waiting for her in the boutique. Unable to respond in kind, Riley just smiled politely.

“You look like a princess,” Liam continued. He was looking at her adoringly and it made her uncomfortable.

“Oh, well, I suppose that’s the theme tonight.”

“I couldn’t think of a better look for one.”

“And is this what you’re wearing tonight?”

“I was just deciding that now. There is a white and blue one to match you that I’m sure Maxwell left out for me, but that would cause quite a stir.”

“A color will cause a stir?”

“It would be considered a rather bold move. I’d be almost officially aligning myself with you.”

“It’s okay. You’ll look amazing no matter what you do.”

“As long as you approve.”

Riley laughed genuinely. “It’s hard to disapprove of you.”

“I’ll see you tonight for the party, Lady Riley. Until then.” Liam bowed and walked out, thankfully still wearing his usual formalwear. Maxwell reappeared a moment later.

“Whew, those were some adjustments that needed overseeing.”

“Uh huh. Maxwell . . . was that just an elaborate ploy you and Bertrand put together to get me alone with Liam?”

“Whaaaat? Us? It’s not like we’re sponsoring you to win the Prince’s hand or anything. That’d be silly.”

“Maxwell, please tell me you remember what I said during the fox hunt.”

Maxwell shifted nervously. “I remember. But Riley, we’re so close. And even if you think you like D-, uh . . .someone else, feelings are tricky.”

“It’s more than that Maxwell. Forget it, we’ll talk about it tomorrow. Let’s go throw a party!”

“Now  _ that’s _ what I’m talking about. Let me escort you to the ballroom. The party’s starting soon, and as hosts, we should be there to greet everyone.”

As they stepped into the ballroom, Riley couldn’t help but be impressed. Under the crystal chandeliers, the whole room sparkled. “Wow . . . it really came together!”

“I’m sure Bertrand’s pleased with the work. . . moderately, at least.”

Riley noticed a binder near the front of the room and glanced to see a diagram of the room.

“Is that the seating chart?

“Sure is. Bertrand must’ve arranged everyone already.” Maxwell examined it over Riley’s shoulder. “He’s already put you next to Prince Liam and the King and Queen, so that’s ready to go.”

“You know, through all the hustle of yesterday, I never had the chance to give the seating arrangement my approval.”

“Approval? Ohhh, that approval. I remember what Olivia did to you back at her estate. A little payback wouldn’t hurt. Let’s see . . . she’s currently sitting with Madeleine, Penelope, Kiara, and Hana. Bertrand wanted to cut her off from Prince Liam, but respectfully leave her up front with the other noble ladies.”

Riley glanced at the seating chart and remembered the horrible treatment Olivia gave her, Hana, and Drake in Lythikos. She almost wanted to sit her in the back and ruin her dinner, but actually, Olivia hadn’t been that bad recently. They’d worked together on the apple pie sabotage and shared their disgust over Madeleine. Maybe . . . Olivia having suspicions about Riley and Drake meant that she no longer saw Riley as a threat and maybe they could actually be friends.

“We should leave her be. You know, I’m over what she did. With everything that’s happened the last few days, revenge on Olivia is the last thing on my mind.”

Maxwell looked puzzled, then concerned. “What things?”

Riley realized the busyness, she hadn’t told Maxwell about anything that happened. “Oh, there have been some things, but, nothing to worry about right now.”

“If you’re sure. Well, anyway, Bertrand will thank you for keeping the peace with Olivia.”

“No he won’t.”

“Well, I’m thanking you on his behalf.”

Just then, Bertrand appeared, grinning widely.

“You look uncharacteristically happy,” Riley observed.

“Why wouldn’t I be? We’re showing off the splendor of House Beaumont, and fortune willing, it’s also our chance to show the court just how well the Prince and Lady Riley are suited right before the Coronation. If everything goes well, tonight will be a grand accomplishment. So places, you two! Guests will be let in, and we should greet them with a smile!”

Bertrand opened the doors and soon the room was filled with servers and guests.

Maxwell looked happy. Not in his usual party-boy, radiating energy from his fingertips, kind of way, but just . . . happy. “It’s been awhile since I’ve seen Bertrand so happy. It kind of reminds me of how he used to be . . . Who knows, we might even see _ fun _ Bertrand tonight!”

“Now  _ that _ I want to see . . .” Riley added.

“Heh. Honestly, it means a lot to me to see him in such good spirits. Let’s make this night one to remember!”

“Right!”

As the guests stream in, Riley saw Drake. Her stomach fluttered, but she also felt a flush of anger and frustration after he had tried to downplay everything that happened between them. “Welcome to the Beaumont Bash,” she said coolly. “You’ll recognize some of these fine floral arrangements as yours.” But he was only looking at her, eyes wide.

“Brooks . . . you look . . .” Riley melted a little bit and smiled.

“Yes?” She did a small twirl.

“Ready for the party. Everything here really came together.”

Riley wanted to scream. Or cry. Or run away. Instead, she plastered on her waitress smile, “I know, right? Though . . . you don’t look like you’re dressed for the occasion.”

“You don’t like my look? This shirt’s clean.” It was a standard Drake denim shirt. 

Riley rolled her eyes. “I guess that’s the most I should expect. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you dress up for these fancy events. It might be a nice change of pace.”

“Eh. Fashion is subjective. Besides, people are here to see the Prince, not me.” 

Riley wasn’t sure how in just a day they had gone from confessing their feelings and making out in the Beaumont’s study to biting remarks and pushing each other away, but if it went on much longer, she wouldn’t have the emotional stamina for dinner, so when Hana came bounding over, it was a welcome relief. 

“Riley! Maxwell! I’ve never been to the Beaumont estate before. This looks wonderful.”

“Thank you, Hana,” Maxwell said politely.

“And Riley! You look amazing!” Why was everyone so impressed with this ridiculous dress?

“Thank you. As always, you look lovely too.”

Just then, a waiter passed by with the caviar appetizers.

“Our creations!” Maxwell said, collecting four off the tray and distributing them.

Riley glanced between Maxwell and Drake. “I hope people like them . . .”

They continued to mingle and Riley smiled through Kiara’s skepticism about the appetizers which Maxwell described as “a deconstructed delicacy of caviar cultivated from pampered hake fish of the Sweedish fjords with paprika harvested from a micro-nursery in Provence.”

Kiara and Penelope took a delicate bites.

“Wow, so fancy! I like them! Spicy, salty, definitely unique,” Penelope complimented.

“Mmmmm. It reminds me of when I dined at the top of la tour Eiffel in Paris! Did you use the same chef?” Kiara asked.

“Someone comparable,” Maxwell said in his dignified Lord voice. He gave Riley a high five behind Hana’s back.

As they moved along Maxwell turned to Riley. “Well, the reactions to our appetizers seem mostly positive.”

“We put our blood, sweat and tears into them. They’d better enjoy them.”

Hana was still holding hers and eyed it warily, “That doesn’t sound very sanitary.”

“No, no, it’s an expression,” Drake explained.

“Besides, it’s not like _ we _ made the food. . .” Riley added.

Hana took a bite, “I think it tastes great.”

“Thanks. Er . . . I mean, I’ll let the chef know,” Riley said smiling back at Hana, who thankfully seemed oblivious to the weirdness.

Riley continued to smile through Olivia’s backhanded compliments, “Yes, this isn’t as tacky an affair as I’d imagined it would be. Now, let’s get this evening over with. Where’s the wine?” 

And she smiled through Madeleine’s outright disdain and jealousy. “You must be feeling pretty smug. I’ve been hearing some rumors that you’ve become the frontrunner going into the Coronation. . .” If only they knew she would more than willingly step aside so Olivia could marry the man of her dreams or Madeleine could win the crown of her dreams.

Madeleine did leave her with an unsettling thought though.”You may have the upperhand while we’re at the Beaumont Estate, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be chosen as queen. You never know what might happen . . .”

Riley turned to Maxwell, “Well, that was ominous.” Before he could respond, Bertrand was standing on the dais welcoming the guests to Ramsford and announcing dinner.

“That’s my cue,” Drake said flatly. “I have a seat in the back, so I’ll see you after dinner.” Riley couldn’t help but feel she should have done something about the seating chart.

“And I’d better go and take my seat with the other ladies,” Hana said.

“I wish we could have all sat together,” Riley said sadly.

“Hey, don’t look so disappointed, Brooks. You’re sitting with royalty. I learned a long time ago that I don’t fit in there. But don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll be able to handle one dinner without us.”

“Right . . .” Riley said, still deflated. “You don’t fit in with royalty, but eat breakfast with a prince everyday.”

“No, I eat breakfast with Liam, not the “prince.” There’s a difference.”

“Yes there is,” Riley agreed.

“We’ll catch up later!” Hana said, squeezing Riley’s hand. She watched wistfully as Drake and Hana moved to different corners of the room and Maxwell escorted her to her seat at the head table between Liam and Bertrand.

Riley suffered her way through boring dinner conversations about the chicken cordon bleu, the splendor of House Beaumont and Liam’s upcoming choice of bride.

Queen Regina even asked her if she would be ready for marriage if chosen. Riley wanted to laugh out loud and say how ridiculous it would be to consider marrying someone she’d only known for a few months and had remarkably few conversations with. She wondered if Liam would be ready for marriage. Instead of what she wanted to say, she answered something about compromise and hard work. Apparently Regina approved of the answer.

“A truthful answer. It is about working through tough times, many of which would stem from Liam being the Crown Prince.”

“I know who Liam is,” Riley answered.

“You do,” Liam said, beaming at her. 

Riley smiled politely back as King Constantine seemed to acknowledge his approval. She knew who Liam was, it was true. Although much of what she’d actually learned about him came from Drake. Did he know her though? She wondered if he could name one fact about her family or knew where she went to college. She hadn’t told him any of that - he never gave her the opportunity or asked. Maybe he knew some of it from Drake or from whatever research the royal guard had done on her.

Riley mostly listened as they recounted events of past social seasons, re-lived favorite memories of this year, and stories about when Leo and Liam were younger. She didn’t have much to contribute to these conversations and refrained from pulling out her phone to search for flights back to New York, but instead managed to ask a few polite questions and smile and nod appropriately. She was silently grateful to her younger self for joining a sorority in college and the practice it had given her in formal dinners and small talk at recruitment events. Who knew that it would prepare her in a small way for life in a royal court. Apparently the elitist bullshit she’d put up with as an Ivy League undergrad actually came in handy.

Occasionally Riley’s eyes drifted to Drake in the back of the room who seemed to be brooding more than she had seen in weeks. It was almost as if he had reverted back to the doom and gloom of those first few events, before the walls came down in Lythikos. She needed to fix this.

Finally after dessert and their royal guests complimenting the hosts it seemed Riley would be free from the conversation. Her face hurt from smiling too much. Maxwell claimed it was the dessert that made everything and Liam looked lovingly at Riley..

“And the company.”

Riley burst out laughing at this since she had found the company suffocating. She had spent much of her time wishing she were back in Lythikos at the back table with Drake and Hana. Constantine seemed to take it as a spontaneous display of affection for Liam. He reached for Regina’s hand.

“I remember being young once.”

“I always feel young when I’m with you . . .” Regina smiled up at them and Riley marveled that they really did seem to be in love. Interesting.

“Oh, my dear. When all’s said and done, I hope Liam makes the right choice.”

“That’s what we all hope for, sir,” proclaimed Bertrand with a nod to Riley. Riley smiled in return, thankful that things seemed to be wrapping up.

After dinner, everyone gathered in the main hall and Bertrand, Maxwell, and Riley climbed the stairs of the grand staircase where servants brought out a few bottles of champagne. Bertrand started making a speech and Maxwell led Riley to the top of the stairs.

“It’s time to pick our weapons. You and I are going to saber open some champagne!”

As terrifying as that sounded, it also sounded incredibly fun and Maxwell seemed pretty confident about it. Riley chose a dagger and Maxwell opted for . . . 

“A flail, Maxwell? How is that going to work?

Bertrand proposed a toast and Maxwell grinned at Riley, “That’s our cue.”

“To our gracious royal family . . .” Bertrand was saying

“To all those here tonight!” Maxwell continued.

“And to the Brothers Beaumont! Our legendary hosts, who I wouldn’t be here without.” Riley finished.

“Let’s rock this place to the ground!” Maxwell cheered and shattered his champagne with the flail.

“Looks like you were right Riley,” he laughed, watching the champagne flow down the stairs.

Riley took her dagger and sliced the cork off with a satisfying pop and foam poured out onto her hands, her dress and down the stairs.

“Whoa. It took me much longer to master that move,” Maxwell said, looking equally impressed and scared.

Everyone cheered and servers came forward with glasses of champagne for everyone. The King and Queen approached Riley and Bertrand. 

“Splendid night, Duke Ramsford, Lady Riley,” Queen Regina said politely.

“You’ve delivered the type of enjoyable evening we would’ve expected from a Beaumont celebration,” the King complimented.

Bertrand beamed and stood a little taller, “You’re too kind, Your Majesties.”

“But we should take our leave. The old folks like us can’t handle the late-night events . . .”

From the top of the stairs, Maxwell was calling for a bow and arrow and some apples. A few frightened looking servants scurried away.

“Though we’re sure it’ll be something to remember,” the Queen finished.

“Try not to incapacitate half the court this time,” the King said, nudging Bertrand.

“Perhaps only a third this time,” Bertrand said with a laugh.

They toasted to the crown and King Constantine wished the results of the Coronation would be favorable. This made Bertrand almost giddy with excitement.

“Maxwell! Let the revelry begin!”

“AWWWWWWWW YEAH!” Maxwell shouted, sliding down the bannister. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone! I'm getting this out in the last hours of 2020 (in my time zone) and hoping everyone has a MUCH better 2021.
> 
> Onto the chapter notes! I actually wrote this chapter a long time ago - I try to stay about 10 chapters ahead of publishing - but when I went back to edit, I ended up adding back in a bunch of canon dialogue I had skipped over before. I initially skipped it because at this point Riley is pretty done with all of it and wanted to capture how disengaged from the process she is at this point. Then in editing, I decided that we needed to work through all the small talk with her. I also obviously added quite a bit of tension between Drake and Riley at this point. So much of that stems from their previous relationship experiences and they haven't quite opened that can of worms yet, so we get misunderstandings all around. 
> 
> As for new chapters, at this point, I can promise at least one a week, maybe two, we'll see how it goes. Look for 22 on Monday.


	22. The Beaumont Bash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Beaumont Bash rages through the night and as much as Drake tries to avoid it, he keeps getting drawn back in. A game of Truth or Dare threatens to expose Riley and Drake's secret.

It took less than five minutes after Maxwell slid down the stair railing for Drake to get a headache. Music blasted from the ballroom, and the doors flung open. Acrobats and dancers flowed out of the ballroom and the guests spread out through the ground floor, most making their way back into the ballroom.

Maxwell was at peak Maxwell-ness. “I hope you’re ready. ‘Cause the Maxwell Special is in the house!” Drake wasn’t even sure what he was talking about at that point. But Maxwell danced backwards onto the dance floor and began break dancing. “I am the myth . . . the man . . . the legend. Witness me.”

Riley came down the stairs and joined Drake, Liam, and Hana. Whatever he had said or done to upset Riley last night, she still seemed upset with him today and . . . maybe that was for the best. Maybe he should just avoid her altogether. He turned to Liam, “It’s been less than two minutes and my ears hurt . . .”

“Come on, Drake, you usually give it at least five minutes before tapping out,” Liam said with a laugh, clapping him on the shoulder. The guilt he’d felt yesterday washed over him again, tying his stomach in knots. Plus, the chaos really was getting under his skin.

“There’s so much happening,” Hana said with wide eyes.

“That’s the problem,” Drake told her.

“Bring out the horses!” Bertrand yelled from behind them.

No, no, no, no. 

“You’re bringing the horses in here?” Riley asked in shock.

Pretty soon, there were horses being led in. One of them Marabelle, who apparently, Liam had bought for Riley.

“Who’s ready for a little horse riding?” Bertrand called.

“I am!” Of course Maxwell would be.

“Great . . . “ Drake groaned.

“Who will be my partner?”

“How about our king to-be?” Bertrand offered Liam the reins with a bow.

“I nominate Drake as my proxy,” Liam said with a smile.

“Oh no, you’re not forcing me into the saddle tonight. This is dangerous for the horses.”

“I vote Riley!” Hana said.

Everyone seemed to agree and with a panicked look in Drake’s direction, Riley was shuffled toward Marabelle. Liam helped her up and she rode around the ballroom next to Maxwell.

“Today, I ride for Cordonia!” Riley called from her horse.

“For Cordonia!” Hana and Liam cheered. Seriously, none of them were concerned about this?

“Woo. Riding a horse. Yay.” Drake murmured sarcastically.

After a ride around the ballroom, they dismounted. Drake caught a servant and had her lead Marabelle back to the stable. He turned back to find his friends and saw Liam whispering to Riley. Drake seethed. It had been hard enough to watch them smile and laugh all through dinner. He needed to get out of there. Now. He tried to escape, but halfway up the stairs was stopped by Riley.

“Drake! Where are you going?”

“To bed, Brooks. I’m not into all . . . this.”

“Oh? Should I come with you?” she asked with a faux-innocent look on her face.

Drake closed the gap between them and lowered his voice, “You  _ really _ shouldn’t say things like that.”

“But you love it when I do,” she smirked up at him and the walls he had so carefully built up that day came instantly crashing back down. It was no use trying to keep her out, she had set up residence in his heart and mind. “Come on, Drake. Can we talk? Please?”

Well, they did need to clear the air of whatever had sent her running away angry last night. Drake grabbed her arm and ducked into a hallway. He brought her back to the Beaumont study and this time, locked the door behind them. The music from the ballroom was still there, but dampened by walls.

When he was certain they were alone and the doors secure he turned to look at her. She looked every inch a future queen and almost nothing like the beautiful woman he had kissed in this very room the day before. That had been Riley. His Riley. Not Lady Riley Brooks of House Beaumont, future Queen of Cordonia. He had to admit that it unnerved him how smoothly she switched between those two roles. But he also knew which one was real and which one was a part she played. “Brooks, I’m sorry I’ve been acting like a jerk all night.”

“Yes, I was wondering about that. Asshole Drake was back.”

“Can’t help it, it’s a defense mechanism.”

“Well, I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have walked away last night. And I was . . . kind of rude earlier too.”

“Why did you walk away last night?”

“Really?”

“Really. Obviously I said something to upset you, I just don’t know what.”

“I guess it’s more of what you didn’t say. It’s like. . . you don’t even want to try to work this out.”

“Well, as long as you’re here for Liam, there’s nothing to work out. It’s just . . . it’s really hard to watch you . . . with him.”

Riley took both of his hands in hers and looked up at him, pleading. “Drake, please don’t talk about Liam. I’m so tired of talking about Liam. What do  _ you _ want?”

Drake turned away from her. What he wanted had never been important to anyone before, not even to himself. He ran a hand through his hair and finally looked back at her. He looked past the make-up and fancy hair-do and poofy princess dress. His eyes locked on hers and he could see her there,  _ his _ Riley. “Brooks, you know what I want. I want you. Badly.”

“Well, here I am.”

With that, he swept her back into his arms and their lips met. He tangled one hand through her hair, pulling her closer. Riley deepened the kiss and melted into his arms. It was the same all-consuming fire that had been between them yesterday, everything else disappeared and Riley was the only thing that existed. 

Some time later, when they finally pulled apart, Drake wondered how she managed to turn him into a marshmallow every damn time.

“As much as I would like to stay here and do that all night, we need to get back to the party,” Riley whispered in his ear, sending tingles down his spine. “We’ll be missed.” She reached up and wiped some lipstick from his face and gave him a wink. She straightened her hair and her dress, checking her reflection in the glass case along the wall. “Is there a way to get out of here that won’t be highly suspicious?”

Drake checked the hallway and it was empty. So, they made their way back to the ballroom. With every step, guilt weighed down on him. He was certain that  _ this _ time, Liam would figure it out and have him banished or something.

They were found first by Hana, who already looked a little flushed. “Rileeeeeeeeeeey! Where have you been? Were you with Drake?”

Great. Regular Hana could be trusted, but apparently drunk Hana was an open book. Drake almost started to panic when he saw Liam come up right behind Hana. Surely he had heard Hana’s question. Riley took it in stride though.

“Yep. He thought he was going to get out of partying all night with us, but I convinced him to stay.”

“That’s truly an accomplishment,” Liam said with a smile. Drake couldn’t help but think Liam probably wouldn’t approve of her methods.

“Well, at least there’s whiskey, right?” Drake walked away from the others and toward the bar. He saw Maxwell, still dancing in the middle of the room and soon, Liam, Riley, and Hana joined him. Drake hovered at the edge of the ballroom, not wanting to venture onto the dance floor. Chaos was everywhere. Acrobats were flying around the dance floor and from the chandeliers and Lady Kiara was taking a turn riding a horse around the room. A group of noblemen in their early teens were taking turns shooting apples off the bust of some long forgotten Beaumont. Bertrand was circulating the room opening bottles of champagne with a sword for each guest personally. Oliva was showing a terrified looking Penelope how to roll a knife across her fingers. A group of servant girls, who appeared to be around twenty were trying to sneak sips of champagne from the abandoned open bottles on the tables.

Drake missed Savannah. She would have been in the middle of it all, trying to force him to join in the revelry. What would she be doing if she were here? He pictured her dancing with Maxwell and Hana, waiting for Maxwell to show her his newest dance move. She would have loved Hana, probably would have gushed over how she was the perfect lady. Or maybe she would have followed Bertrand around, helping with the champagne. She did that sometimes, always impressed with their bottle opening trick. She always said the Beaumont brothers needed a woman around to play the hostess and while she had been here, she was happy to fill the role. Well, now they had Riley.

He wondered what Savannah would make of Riley. He liked to think they would get along - maybe even like sisters. Savannah had always wanted a sister. She used to beg their parents to have another baby so she could have a sister. Olivia never gave her the time of day, even though they were the same age, so Savannah was always a bit on the outside. It was nice when Penelope and Kiara were at court because they were always nice to her. Madeleine, however, was not.

Since Savannah wasn’t around to look after, Drake kept his eye on Riley instead. He watched as she danced with Liam, Maxwell, and Hana in turn. After awhile, Bertrand collected her and whisked her off to mingle with the lesser nobles. It irritated him that Bertrand was showing her off like a prized pony, but that’s what she was there to do, so he couldn't do much to intervene.

Sometime around midnight, many songs and drinks later, the song changed to some annoying pop song. Riley and Maxwell, both very drunk, let out an excited whoop. They climbed up onto one of the tables and sang along, Riley’s huge princess dress knocking over water glasses and floral arrangements along the way. Bertrand opened another bottle of champagne with a sword and handed Riley the bottle, which she drank directly from before passing it to Maxwell. The party continued around them. Drake looked for Liam, but he was nowhere to be found. At the end of whatever god awful song had Riley and Maxwell dancing on tables, Riley called out.

“Draaaaake! Catch me!” Uh oh. Drake dashed over to catch her as she jumped down from the table. She smiled up at him. “I knew you’d catch me.”

“You’re lucky.”

“In Lythikos you said to warn you next time, and I did! But I’d always trust you to catch me. It’s because you looooove me.”

Drake set her back on her feet. “Oooooookay, Brooks, maybe we get you some water or coffee and sober you up.”

“That doesn’t sound fun. It’s a party. We should drink some of your whiskey instead!” She reached for his pocket.

He caught her hand and gingerly moved it away. “Definitely not.”

“You’re way too sober Drake, we should fix that.”

“Not sober Brooks, just not wasted like you apparently are.”

"You heard us! We're rocking this place to the ground!"

"Yep. That's what happens at all these Beaumont parties."

“If you won’t drink with me, you have to dance with me.”

“You know I don’t dance, Brooks.”

“Then drinks it is!”

“Fine, one dance. Only because I don’t want you to get alcohol poisoning.”

Riley dragged him out to the still crowded dance floor and forced him to sway back and forth with her, like she had on his birthday. At least there weren’t any steps to remember and he could just stay close to her. He glanced around for Liam, but he was still nowhere to be seen. He must have gone to bed early.

At some point, a couple hours later, the music finally began to wind down. The acrobats had left and the servants were milling about, clearing the tables. The dance floor was empty, except for Maxwell who was still dancing to his own beat. "Break it down. Nice and slow."

Various nobles were either passed out or nearly passed out in various places around the ballroom, most had gone to bed. Bertrand was leaning against a column swinging a sword at the remaining apples that littered the floor. Penelope was talking to a horse, next to Kiara, who was nursing a headache. Riley and Hana were laying across tables they had pushed together to dance on earlier. Flowers and broken glass were strewn around the room and most of the dance floor was sticky with champagne.

Yep. That was a Beaumont Bash. “It’s over. I’m finally free,” Drake said collapsing in a chair next to the tables Riley and Hana were laying on.

“What do you mean ‘it’s over’?” Maxwell asked, moonwalking his way over to them. “The party is just getting started.”

“Lady Penelope is literally talking to a horse. The party has done its job.”

From a short distance away they heard Penelope, “Your mane is so soft. You have to tell me who does your hair.”

Drake looked back at Maxwell pointedly.

"How are you feeling?" Maxwell asked Riley.

"So-so. The problem with a party that rocks you to the core is that it also drains you to the core."

"But it was so much _fun_!" Hana declared. "I was never allowed to attend parties like this at home."

“Back home, this was always about the time we’d break out a game of Truth of Dare, but I bet you guys are too classy for that!” Riley challenged.

“You’d be betting wrong! I love Truth or Dare,” Maxwell answered. Drake couldn’t remember the last time they played Truth or Dare. They were probably about fifteen. Although Maxwell had probably played a few times since then.

“Truth or Dare? That sounds dangerous . . .” Oh Hana. She didn’t get any normal teenage rites of passage, did she?

“Well . . . only if you have something to hide . . . or a fear of embarrassing stunts,” Riley explained.

“It sounds . . . fun!”

“I can’t believe you’ve never played! Now we’ve got to do it.”

Drake remembered that he did indeed have something to hide, at least from Maxwell, and that he was not at all a fan of embarrassing stunts. “Oh no. I'm not playing Truth or Dare.” He started to get up to leave, but Riley already had a hand on his arm.

“Come on Drake, we should do it for Hana.”

Damn it, why couldn’t he say ‘no’ to her? 

“I wouldn’t want to pressure you guys into doing something on my behalf,” Hana said, looking uncertainly at Drake.

“But I would!” Maxwell said enthusiastically. “Do it! Do it!”

“I see where this is going . . .”

“Drake! Drake! Drake!”

“Okay. . . fine. I’ll play, just stop chanting my name.”

“Whoohoo! Someone’s going streaking tonight!” Maxwell cheered.

“We can play in my room!” Hana said excitedly.

The four of them made their way to Hana’s room and settled in.

Hana moved pillows onto the floor for everyone, before sitting herself. “This is so exciting! How do we start?”

“Usually with a few drinks,” Drake said, glancing at the mini bar in the corner. The buzz had worn off hours ago and everyone else looked too sober as well.

“Ooh, there’s a full bar! What do you guys want?” Hana said, looking at the bottles. Yeah, no way was Hana going to play bartender. They'd all end up drinking some high end Cabernet.

“Make me something fruity and delicious! I know! I want Sex on the Beach!”

Hana’s jaw dropped and her cheeks flushed, “Oh my! I don’t think . . .” Riley dissolved into a fit of laughter.

“It’s a drink . . .” Maxwell explained. “Nevermind, I’ll make it myself.”

Drake looked back to Hana, who still looked mortified, “I’ll just have -”

“Let me guess,” Riley cut in. “Whiskey.”

“I’m getting predictable, aren’t I?”

“Maybe just a little bit,” she said, smiling happily at Drake.

“What about you, Riley?” Hana asked.

“Hmmm,” Riley said with a sideways glance at Drake. “Sex on the Beach actually sounds perfect.”

Drake’s heart hammered in his chest and he looked everywhere but at Riley, trying to think of the least sexy things he could think of. It didn’t work. She never drank fruity, tropical cocktails. Never. With him it was always straight whiskey. With Hana or Maxwell, she sometimes chose wine or a very basic cocktail, but never those mockeries of real drinks.

Hana handed Drake his whiskey, poured a glass of champagne for herself and Maxwell sat back down with two fruity cocktails, handing one to Riley. Riley took her glass and gave Drake a seductive look as she took an exaggerated drink and licked the rim. Fuuuuuuuck. This was going to be a long night.

“Drinks have been accomplished. What’s next?” Hana asked, delicately sipping her champagne.

“Someone goes first . . .” Maxwell said, looking around the circle.

“Brooks should start. This was her idea,” Drake said, raising an eyebrow at Riley.

“Okay, Riley . . . truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

Maxwell grinned. “I was hoping you’d say that. I’ve got a great one for you.” Drake was suddenly worried. He might ask her who, other than Liam, she was talking about at the fox hunt, or something else that would get her to reveal something about their . . . whatever it was that they were doing. “If you were stranded on a deserted island, where you’ll never see anyone or any civilization ever again . . . which one of us would you want with you?”

“Easy. I’d want Drake!”

“Me?” Drake asked, eyes flashing at her.  Did she want Maxwell to know? He was pretty sure that was a sneaky way for Maxwell to figure out who she had feelings for. If it wasn’t Liam, bets would be on someone in this room.

“Be honest, Brooks, you just want me there so I’m suffering as much as you are,” he said, trying to divert suspicion since Maxwell was now looking at him curiously.

“Mostly just to see how you’d look in a grass skirt” she said, entirely seriously, meeting his eyes. Then she took another intentionally long sip of her Sex on the Beach. Real subtle Brooks.

“Hey!”

Fortunately, all the subtext of the conversation seemed to escape Maxwell because he was laughing hysterically at her comment.

“Just kidding. I think you’d be gruff and grumpy, but deep down, when it counts, you’d probably save me from a tiger or something.” She smiled and took another long sip of her drink. God, he wanted her.

“Well, I’d feel terrible if a tiger ate my only companion.” He was leaning in toward her now, drawn like a magnet.

“And there wouldn’t be any nobles around, or courtly intrigue, or gossip. You could build bonfires and sleep under the stars every night. In fact, I think you might enjoy being stranded more than palace life.”

“You never know.” Actually, a deserted island with Riley didn’t sound half bad. Were there any nearby they could escape to? Preferably ones without tigers. 

Suddenly he remembered that there were other people in the room and broke the gaze they had fallen into. Riley cleared her throat and looked back at Hana and Maxwell. Hana had a huge smile on her face and Maxwell just looked at them expectantly.

“Okay,” Riley said, shaking herself and finishing off her drink. “Maxwell, it’s your turn. Truth or dare?”

“Dealer’s choice! I’m not afraid of anything!”

“Okay, then swing from the chandelier and do a backflip off of it.” Riley said.

“Oh, things are about to get crazy in here!” Maxwell said. “Hana, drop a beat!”

Hana looked at Riley and Drake, “How do I . . . where do I get a beat?”

“Drake, drop a beat!” Maxwell said impatiently.

Drake pulled out his phone and opened up Spotify. Riley grabbed it from him and typed something and handed it back. “Seriously? There’s a song called Chandelier?”

Riley grinned, “Yup! You have to wait for the chorus.” Drake rolled his eyes, but opened the song anyway.

“Prepare to be amazed!” said Maxwell, climbing up onto the mantle of the fireplace. Maxwell jumped from the fireplace and caught hold of the chandelier in the middle of the room. Swinging along to the beat, and apparently lyrics about wanting to swing from a chandelier, Maxwell grinned at Riley, tucked his leg and did a backflip, landing on his hands in a breakdancing pose. The girls applauded enthusiastically.

Maxwell stood upright again, “Impressed?”   


“Very!” Riley said, giving him a high five.

Maxwell turned to Hana, “Next up, Hana, truth or dare?”

“Oh . . . um . . . truth!”

“Tell us about your first kiss.”

“My first kiss?”

“You  _ have _ been kissed, right?” Maxwell asked. Actually, that was a fair question. Hana didn’t even have friends before coming to Cordonia.

“Yes, of course.”

“You were engaged, after all!” Riley encouraged. 

“Well . . . it was actually a very chaste courtship. Our first kiss was in front of a professional photographer for our engagement photo shoot. My parents were insistent that we publish a very public announcement in all of the papers. It was . . . somewhat awkward.”

“He wasn’t a great kisser?” Riley asked sympathetically.

“He missed.”

“Missed? How?” The words tumbled out of Drake’s mouth before he could consider whether or not they would make Hana feel bad. She had never kissed anyone until she was  _ engaged _ and he  _ missed _ ?

“He kissed my ear. Well, he punctured his lip on my earring, actually. He started bleeding. I felt terrible. My parents were furious that he ruined my dress. It was a complete disaster.”

“Hana, you deserved a better first kiss than that!” Riley said crawling across the circle to hug the other woman. That could literally be the worst first kiss story in history. 

“Thank you, Riley. But it wasn’t so bad. Looking back, it was pretty funny. I mean, who can miss that badly on a kiss?”

Maxwell laughed nervously, “Hah! I know. I mean. What a loser.”

All three of them turned to look at Maxwell. “Maxwell . . .” Drake started, letting the question hang in the air.

“Okay, maybe I accidentally kissed someone’s chin, but that’s like, a totally understandable mistake, right? I mean, it’s right below the mouth. . .”

Drake just shook his head. Riley was biting her lip to keep from laughing.

Hana giggled. “Yes, that’s completely normal.” Ok, Hana. How would you know? But it did seem to soothe Maxwell, so he let it go.

“Okay, my turn again! Riley, I dare you to go streak through the ballroom in your underwear!”

Whoa, where did that come from . . . not that he would mind the view. . .

“That’s not fair! It’s not her turn,” Hana said.

“Yeah, and she didn’t even choose ‘dare’.”

“Well, someone should streak tonight or this game is a bust,” Maxwell huffed. “Come now, Riley, it’s your game. Who will it be?” 

Riley’s eyes slid over to Drake and her eyes lit up in delight.

“Drake should do it! It’s his turn.”

“I didn’t choose dare either, Brooks.”

“Backing down from a challenge, Drake?”

“Never.” By now everyone would be in bed, and Drake didn’t care at all if the three of them saw him in his underwear - he wasn’t exactly insecure. They made their way to the ballroom, which was now empty. Even the horses were gone. Drake removed his clothing, glancing at Riley who was nodding appreciatively. 

“The things I do for you people,” Drake said with one final smirk in Riley’s direction. With a deep breath, he sprinted across the empty ballroom, trying to avoid slipping on the wet floor or stepping in glass.

“Woo! Go Drake!” Riley cheered.

Drake made it back across the room and came to a halt in front of the three of them.

“Satisfied?” he asked.

“Yep! Now what?” Maxwell asked excitedly.

“My turn!” Riley said with a smile. She quickly unzipped her dress and let it fall to the floor. “Whew! I’ve been waiting to get out of that dress all night. We can’t make Drake be the only one. Come on, Hana.” What the . . . 

Hana let out another giggle and blushed, “Okay. It does look fun!” Hana slipped out of her gown and soon both of them were standing there in only bras and panties. Drake and Maxwell shared a wide-eyed look, but Drake’s eyes were drawn right back to Riley and her fucking perfect body.

“Let’s go!” Hana yelled.

“Maxwell?” Riley demanded.

“I’ll be the photographer.”

“Maxwell!” Riley exclaimed with a glare.

“No.” Drake said, arms crossed. Not that he didn’t trust Maxwell with pictures. . . but he didn’t trust Maxwell with pictures.

“I mean, I’ll stand guard! So no one can come by . . . and take pictures.” 

“Fine,” said Riley. “Let’s go!”

The three of them ran around the ballroom.

“Woooooooo!” Riley yelled.

“Freeeeeeedom!” Drake said, in his best Braveheart voice.

“Truth or Dare!” Hana cheered. They ran straight past Maxwell, grabbing their clothes and collapsed back in Hana’s room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter came in a little short and was actually supposed to be considerably longer. When I went to start Chapter 23, I discovered that I had already switched to Riley's POV, leaving me very confused until I had it sorted out. Since apparently she wanted to tell the last part of the evening, I moved it into her chapter.
> 
> I always wanted more details about what happened at the Beaumont Bash and was disappointed that the game just skips over the whole thing, other than the boring dinner part. So, hopefully you enjoy my take on some of the details.
> 
> Writing has been going well, so I think I can do Mondays and Thursdays for now, but I had to go back to work today, so I don't know if that schedule will continue.


	23. Should I Stay or Should I Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riley and Drake try to confront the realities of continuing their relationship. Riley recovers from the Beaumont Bash and has a heart to heart with Maxwell. Final preparations are made for the Coronation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was fun to write since most of it doesn't appear in canon and I got to imagine how all these conversations would go. I hope you feel I've stayed true to the characters. Thanks for reading!

“I can’t believe we just did that!” Hana said breathlessly.

“Ah, the magic of Truth or Dare,” Drake said, pulling his clothes back on.

“This was so much fun tonight! Thank you.” Hana said.

“Anytime,” Riley answered with a big smile as Hana helped her back into her dress.

“Yeah,” Maxwell added, “you know me. I don’t need much of an excuse to party.”

“And I’m . . . still not sure why I came this time, but I guess I’d do it again,” Drake said, with a glance at Riley and looking back to Hana.

“Drake,” Hana said, “I think we’re graduating from friends to best friends!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa . . . Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

“I dunno, man,” Maxwell said. “We all drink together, goof off together, spend most of our time together . . .”

“No . . .”

It was true. The four of them had been inseparable the last couple of weeks at Applewood. They usually gravitated toward each other without even thinking about it. Riley had always wanted a classic friend group like on TV shows. Since she hadn’t had much in the way of family, she looked for that connection everywhere else. She had some of it in her high school theatre group and swim team, but those were large groups and constantly changing. It was why she joined a sorority in college, but even those bonds faded a few months after graduation. She had some work friends, and Josh’s friends during that relationship, but never a solid group of lifelong friends that were  _ hers _ . Yet here on the other side of the world, she finally had something that felt like hers. If only Liam would let her stay without marrying him.

Hana hugged Drake’s arm. “It’s too late, Drake. We are best friends!”

“I guess I’m just going to have to accept this, huh?”

Riley nodded, “It’s probably for the best. You could do much worse than the three of us.” She slid herself under Drake’s other arm.

“That’s true, isn’t it.” Drake sighed. “Okay. You got me.”

“Yay!” Maxwell said, joining the group hug.

“Yay!” Hana added.

“Please tell me this isn’t a thing we do now.”

Riley shook her head, “This is not a thing.”

“Thank god. At least someone still has some sanity.”

“I’ve got your back,” Riley said, running a hand along the muscles of his back, making her shiver a bit and pulling away. 

Hana stifled a yawn and moved in the direction of her bed.

“Okay,” Maxwell said, helping Hana into her bed. “We should probably call it a night before we break Hana.”

Riley glanced at the clock - 3:40. Wow, it really was late.

“Good night! This has been a very memorable evening!” Hana said as everyone slipped out the door. 

“Good night, guys!” Maxwell said, heading off in the direction of the family quarters, leaving Riley and Drake alone in the hallway. 

They watched Maxwell go and then looked at each other. Neither one of them had moved. Riley felt her breathing become shallow and her skin prickle. In a flash, she threw her arms around Drake’s neck as he pushed her against the wall. Their mouths met hungrily. Riley ran a hand through Drake’s hair, lightly tugging the end, eliciting a moan from him. She kissed her way down his neck and along his collarbone.

“Riley . . .” He tightened his grip on her hips and he pressed himself against her. 

After another searing kiss, Riley dropped her head to rest on Drake’s chest and catch her breath. “We should probably get out of the middle of the hallway. I don’t think anyone’s awake, but . . .”

“Right.” They walked back toward their rooms, arms around each other. They came to Drake’s room first. 

“Here,” Drake said, opening the door. “Let’s talk in here.”

“I’ll be honest Drake, I’m not thinking much about talking,” she said breathlessly, as she tangled her fingers around his shirt, pulling into the room after her.   
  
“Believe me, it’s not the first thing on my mind, but . . . Brooks, there are some things we really need to talk about before this goes any further.”

“Okay . . .” Riley took a seat on the edge of the bed. Suddenly she was very nervous and very afraid that Drake was going to push her away yet again. She cared about him a lot, she might even love him, but there was only so long she could put up with the constant back and forth. Drake hesitated and sat in a chair facing her.

“When I told you that I don’t see a happy ending here, I wasn’t trying to be a jerk and, honestly, I wasn’t even trying to push you away.”

“It sure seems like you’re pushing me away and I really don’t understand why.”

Drake ran a hand through his hair, leaving it on the back of his neck. “It’s just . . . there’s really only two outcomes here. You either stay, and marry Liam, or you go home and I never see you again.”

“Why are those the only two options?”

“If you drop out of the suitor competition, that’s it. You lose the Beaumonts’ sponsorship, you lose your place at the palace, you lose your status as a lady of the court, and you lose your legal justification for being in Cordonia.”

“I was hoping to talk to Liam about that. Maybe I could apply for a temporary visa while I look for a job or something. I could apply for citizenship, like you said.”

“Maybe, but that’s not a guarantee and you’d be out on your own in the meantime. I got to thinking about it after we talked last night. While I do believe a hundred percent that you can figure it out, you forget that you’re famous here. Everyone knows who you are and right now they love you. But . . . if you drop out, the tabloids and the press will speculate on why, particularly if we’re together, and they’d likely trash your reputation. It would be unlikely that you could just fade into the background easily.”

“Oh. I’ve . . . never really had to deal with that before. I mean, I can take care of myself, but I guess I wouldn’t be able to just find a restaurant gig or something that pays the bills.” Riley flopped back onto the bed, her head spinning, she wasn’t sure if it was from the alcohol or the messy situation she found herself in. When did all this get so complicated? “So, officially withdrawing is a bad option. What if Liam doesn’t pick me?”

“He will.”

“Honestly Drake, I don’t see why he would.” Riley propped herself back up on her elbows to look at him. “He knows absolutely nothing about me. He never asks anything about me or just talks to me. It’s all big romantic gestures and heart eyes. Like, I get that he wants to sleep with me, but. . . I’m not sure he’s looking beyond that. Raw attraction is hardly enough to build a marriage on. I avoid all his invitations for romantic outings beyond what he offers the other ladies. The last time I did anything alone with him was Forgotten Falls a month and a half ago. And I regretted even that.”

“You did? Liam made it sound so . . .”

“Romantic?”

“Believe me, if there was any hesitance or regret on your part, he didn’t pick up on it.”

“That’s the thing, Drake, he only sees what he wants to see with me. I managed to avoid kissing him, but all I wanted was for it to be you that I was there with.”

Drake ran his hand through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck. “I gotta say, Brooks, I don’t really get it. Liam is . . .”

“Liam is great. He’s honest and thoughtful and compassionate and dedicated to his country and his people. He will be an amazing king. I  _ like _ Liam, as a friend. But I don’t feel anything else for him and I can’t give him what he wants from me. He’s not dumb, Drake, he’ll figure it out sooner or later and then he’ll be miserable.”

“More miserable than if he has to marry fucking Madeleine or Olivia?”

Riley thought for a moment about that, and quickly came to the conclusion that as awful as it would be for Liam to be married to Olivia or Madeleine, marrying her was potentially disastrous. “Maybe, actually. With them, he understands what he’s getting. It may be far more devastating when he realizes that I don’t love him. Besides, Olivia is in love with Liam and Madeleine is in love with the crown, either one of them would get  _ something _ out of the deal. They’re both Cordonian and understand the culture in a way I can’t. They’ve been raised in the high ranks of the nobility and know what is expected of them - it actually comes naturally to them, when it is only a performance for me. I don’t want to perform every day for the rest of my life. It’s been two months and every day I feel like I’m losing a little bit of myself. I don’t know how long I can keep up the act and I might end up doing something drastic like Leo’s mom did.”

“So, it’s like I said Brooks, no happy endings here.”

Riley was so overwhelmed and tired she began to cry. It had been an emotionally exhausting three days. Drake quietly moved to sit next to her and the bed and put an arm around her. She melted into his side and let the tears flow. Drake pulled her close and stroked her hair. It felt nice and comforting. Being with Drake was so easy when he let it be. There was no role she had to play, he had no expectation of her. He just let her be Riley, accepting whatever she offered freely with no pressure for anything else. How was it possible in the 21st century that she couldn’t simply choose to be with whomever she wanted? As the tears subsided, Riley took his hand in hers and leaned against his shoulder.

“Why is something that is this easy and natural so complicated?” Riley asked.

“It’s the nobility. They ruin everything they touch,” he answered softly, brushing the hair out of her face.

“I’m pretty sure that’s why we got rid of them in America.”

“I didn’t get much American history in school, but wasn’t it something about taxing tea?”

Riley laughed. “Well, that was one of many reasons. Ooooo, not part of the Revolution, but did you ever learn about the Whiskey Rebellion?”

“There was a whiskey rebellion?!”

“Uh huh. A bunch of brand new Americans started an uprising because there was a federal tax on whiskey production. George Washington had to bring in the militia and calm them down.”

“Why didn’t my history lessons include things like that?”

“Well, we don’t have any people that turn into dragons marrying queens or magical artifacts in our history, but we are partial to our liquor and passionately against taxes.”

Drake laughed and held her tighter, leaning his head against hers. “It’s really late Brooks. If we stay here much longer, we might as well stay up and watch the sunrise.”

“That actually sounds nice,” she said, turning her head toward the window.

“It would be, except the house staff will be out around five.”

“Oh, well, then I should probably be in my own room before then.” Riley stood, pulling Drake up with her and wrapping her arms around him.

“What are you going to do? About staying or going?”

“I . . . don’t know.”

Drake nodded. He pulled her in and brushed his lips against hers and kissing her gently. “Please don’t go,” he whispered.

Riley let him walk her to the door, and then slipped quietly down the hallway to her own room. When she got there, her phone gave a familiar ding.

_ Drake: Goodnight Brooks _

_ Riley: Goodnight Drake _

**********

When Riley opened her eyes the day after the Beaumont Bash, her first thought was that she had a massive hangover. She looked on her nightstand to see several bottles of water. Thank god for Maxwell. Then she noticed that it was nearly noon and neither Bertrand nor Maxwell had come in to wake her up. Hoping they weren’t angry with her, she threw on some clothes and ran out to the main hall.

Bertrand, Maxwell, and a few of the staff were cleaning.

“Hey, why’d nobody come get me?”

Bertrand looked up at Riley from the base of the stairs. He actually smiled at her. “You earned a day to sleep in.”

“I . . did?”

Maxwell piped up, “We also thought it’d be better if we minimized the destruction from last night before you woke up.”

“I could’ve helped you guys . . . You know that, right?”

“We don’t want you wasting your energy when we’re heading into one of the most important event of our lives,” Bertrand stated.

“The Coronation Ball is next, and after last night, all eyes are going to be on you!” Maxwell added.

“So get what sleep you can. It’s not long before we depart for the palace.”

“If you’re sure . . ."

“Yep,” Maxwell said. “Rest up! I’ll come find you later.”

Riley went up to her room. She hung up the giant ballgown in the closet. That was . . . not coming back to the palace with her. She sat on the bed and opened a bottle of water to start the rehydration process. Riley replayed the events of the previous night as much as she could remember. Some things were clear - she rode a horse around the ballroom! Others were a little more fuzzy - there was a lot of dancing . . . and champagne. . . and apples. She remembered playing Truth or Dare in Hana’s room and flirting with Drake a little more than she should have. Oh! She kissed Drake again, outside Hana’s room! But then they talked in his room . . . and he made a lot of good points. What were they? She distinctly remembered feeling like the situation was hopeless.

Riley rustled through the desk in her room and found some paper. She started writing down the pros and cons of staying in Cordonia vs going back to New York. As she wrote, the conversation with Drake came flooding back and her pro and con list wasn’t helping her. Riley crashed back onto her bed and fell asleep again.

When Riley woke up again, it was late in the afternoon and she was parched. She downed another water bottle and grabbed her phone to text Maxwell..

_ Riley: I’m up. Can we talk? _

_ Maxwell: Be right there. Hungry? _

_ Riley: yeah actually _

A few minutes later, Maxwell arrived in her room with food and some sort of hangover cure drink.

“Thank you Maxwell, you’re a lifesaver.”

“After a few of these, you get a morning after routine.”

“Or late afternoon after routine?”

“I wouldn’t know. Bertrand always makes me get up and clean with him.”

“Really? Fun Bertrand seems like a pretty cool dude.”

“He is! But it’s like Cinderella, he turns back into an apple at midnight.”

“Don’t you mean a pumpkin?”

“Why would I mean a pumpkin?”

“Cinderella’s coach was a pumpkin . . . it turned back into a pumpkin at midnight.”

“Uh, what version of Cinderella do you know?”

“The regular one . . .”

“Well, in Cordonia, the fairy godmother turns an apple into a carriage. Besides, pumpkins aren’t sour, that would ruin the whole metaphor.”

“Uh huh. Anyway, we need to talk, Maxwell.”

“So your message said. Shoot!”

“I’ve been thinking about this a lot and I want you to hear me out.”

Maxwell mimed zipping his lips and throwing away the key.

“So,” Riley continued, “I really, really don’t think I can do this. I mean, I think I could learn to be a good queen, and I would try, but all this . . . just isn’t the life I want Maxwell. When I got on that plane back in June, it was because I was in a fucking awful place mentally and emotionally. I had a horrible breakup back in March, my aunt died in April - she was the one I lived with after my mom died - and I was working in a job I hated with no real friends. My life was nowhere where I had dreamed and imagined it would be. So, when you offered me a chance to have an adventure, I went with it. I didn’t know that I was signing away all my life choices. Now I just feel stuck. If I was really in love with Liam, it would be worth it. If I really wanted to be queen, it would be worth it. For the last few weeks, I even thought, maybe it would be worth it to help you, but . . . I don’t know if I can sacrifice my entire future for House Beaumont. I’m so sorry Maxwell! I think it will be better if I just go home now.”

Maxwell sat quietly for a little while, seemingly taking in what she was saying. After a minute, he looked like he wanted to say something, but refused to open his mouth. Riley laughed and pantomimed throwing him a key. He ‘unzipped’ his mouth and finally spoke, “Better for who?”

“What do you mean?”

“Who would it be better for if you left? You?”

“I guess.”

“From what I just heard, you don’t have much to go back to.”

“I don’t, you’re right. But I could get another job, maybe make some new friends, maybe meet someone down the road. I’d have the possibility of a future.”

“That’s a lot of maybes. What kind of job would you get?”

“I dunno, whatever I could find that would pay the bills. Probably waitressing.”

“So you want to be a waitress?”   


“No . . . “

“So, crappy dead-end job you don’t really want? Check. Friends . . . maybe you’ll make new friends. Maybe not. Doesn’t sound like you had a lot of friends when you left.”

“Yeah, I sort of lost them all in the break-up. I mean, I had Cassie and Daniel at work, but, no you’re right. My friends are here. That’s part of what has kept me here so long. If it weren’t for you and Hana and Drake, I wouldn’t have stayed.”

“Now we’re getting somewhere. Let’s talk about these friends of yours. Do you think it will be better for Hana if you leave?”

“I . . . don’t know.”

“Yeah, I can see it now. Hana will suddenly be the most popular lady in court. I’m sure Madeleine or Olivia will make her feel great about herself and give her an honored place in their court. Or maybe she’ll have to go home to her parents. That sounds fun.”

“Maxwell . . .”

“And Drake! Yep, probably better if you leave. He can go back to scowling at everyone and sitting in the back of the room drinking whiskey.”

“He still does that.”

Maxwell gave her an intent look. “Nah, not like he used to. I’ve known Drake almost my whole life, I think I know him pretty well. He’s a whole different person with you around.”

“Maybe that’s the problem,” she muttered.

“So, what about me? Since our house will be in ruins and Bertrand will never speak to me again . . . I guess I’ll just have to follow you back to New York and we’ll have epic dance parties. Actually, yeah, let’s do this! Since there’s no way that your imaginary, super cool new group of New York friends could do back flips off the chandelier, you’d pretty much have to bring me along.”

“Of course,” Riley laughed. “Wait, you’d want to come to New York with me? For real?”

Silence fell for a minute and Maxwell looked away. “Please don’t leave Riley. It really would be terrible if you left. Not just because we’re counting on you for House Beaumont and all that, but . . . because I’d really miss you. With House Beaumont in ruins and you gone, I don’t think there would be much for me here. Everything’s been better for everyone since you came.”

“Maxwell . . .”

“And . . . aren’t you happier here too?”

Riley thought about that. The absolute truth of it was that she was happier here in Cordonia. Sure, she wanted to stab Bertrand with one of his forks most days, and the whole situation between her and Drake and Liam was messy, but . . . she would still get on that plane and come if she had it to do over again. She’d rather be here, with people that cared about her, than a place that no longer felt like her home.

“Yes, Maxwell. I am happier here.”

“Then you’ll stay?”

“Staying still means marrying Liam and becoming queen, right?”

“Well, that’s the plan,” Maxwell said with a hopeful smile.

“And if I don’t want that?”

“Would it be so awful? Worse than being in New York with no one?”

That gave Riley pause. Would it be so bad? She’d be here in a beautiful country, with friends that she felt closer to than anyone, with a . . . husband that cared about her. She’d never have to struggle to make ends meet or set out rat traps in her apartment. She’d never have to deal with another dipshit boss. The only real downsides to staying were that she’d have to pretend to be someone she’s not most of the time and she couldn’t be with the one man she really wanted to be with. But she was used to playing a part, even as a waitress, and maybe she’d get over Drake if she threw herself into loving Liam, the way Drake said she would.

“I . . . I . . . I’m going to stay.”

“Wooohooo! I knew it. We should have a party!”

“Maxwell, we just had a party. One that I’m still recovering from.”

“Okay,” he said, tossing her another water bottle. “But when you’re recovered, we’ll throw a Riley’s Staying In Cordonia party.”

“Deal.”

“Cool. I’ll start working on a playlist. I’ll let Bertrand know you’re up. He wanted to examine your wardrobe before packing.”

“He what?!”   


“Oh, you know Bertrand. He just wants to plan out your outfits for after the coronation, to make sure they all say Future Queen.”

“So, should I get a shirt with that printed on it?”

“Heh. Maybe! I know, I’ll get one with my face on it that says ‘World’s Best Sponsor.’ Or maybe that would go better on a coffee mug. Either way, I should get on that.”

"You know Maxwell, you're a lot more insightful than anyone gives you credit for."

Maxwell shrugged. "It suits me I guess, to let people think what they want. That way there's no pressure or disappointing anyone's expectations."

"When really you're an evil genius, plotting to take over the world?"

"Maybe I am . . ." Maxwell shot his finger guns at Riley and left her alone in her room.

Riley was starting to feel a little bit normal again, so she showered and put on fresh clothes. She laid out all of the clothes she brought with her, ready for Bertrand to inspect. A quick glance told her that few of them looked fit for royalty. With a sigh, she checked her credit card balances and tried to suppress the panic that followed. Just then, Bertrand knocked sharply on the door and entered without waiting for her to tell him to come in.

“Ah, Lady Riley, I see you have your clothes already laid out. Excellent.”

“I have a few back at the palace, but mostly ballgowns.”

“I see. And these are all your casual clothes?”

“Yes.”

“Well . . . I suppose we can make do.”

Bertrand moved around, putting a few outfits together here and there.

“I’ll have to make you another appointment at the palace boutique when we return. You’ll need at least three more casual outfits and a few cocktail dresses.”

“What are we going to be doing? Besides the Coronation, I mean.”

“Well, there are no official events, as you know. Mostly the court will be preparing for the Engagement Tour. Other than that, perhaps tea with the Queen. Of course, she will be Queen Mother -”

“No Bertrand, what will we be  _ doing _ ? Because if it is just sitting around the palace waiting, going to meetings and stuff, then I am not buying any new clothes.”

“But . . . this week is critical! Every time you are seen is an opportunity to be seen as the next Queen of Cordonia!”

“Bertrand! Either I have done enough for Liam to choose me, or not. Unless you are footing the bill, I will not be buying any more clothes. And if Liam does choose me and I have more events to plan for, the crown can foot the bill. Is that clear?”

“Lady Riley!”

“The foot is down, Bertrand.”

“Well, I suppose we can make due with what you have. Your derby dress will suffice for tea, perhaps with a light jacket?”

“I can manage that.”

“Well, then. We’ll be here for five more days and fly back to the capital on Saturday.”

“Why are we flying back?”

“I have business to attend to this week and there won’t be time for a long drive.”

That night, when Drake sent his goodnight message, Riley’s stomach fluttered. But she also knew what her decision to stay would most likely mean for them and he deserved to know.

_ Drake: Night Brooks. _

_ Riley:Hey, are you back at the palace? _

_ Drake: Yes. _

_ Are you coming back with the Beaumont’s? _

_ Riley: I decided to stay. _

_ Drake: ok _

Is that all?! Ok?! She quickly pressed ‘call’.

“Brooks?”

“Ok? Is that all?”

“Yes, ok. You’re staying. It’s good.”

“Is it?”

“Better than never seeing you again, but can’t say I’m thrilled about you being engaged to my best friend by the end of the week. Is that what you want me to say?”

“Drake. . .”

“There’s not much else to this story, Brooks. I’ve been trying to tell myself this is how it would play out all summer.”

“Well I haven’t!”

"Time to start then, I guess.” 

Riley sighed. She felt her heart breaking. “Look, Brooks, this is for the best. You know what Liam’s offering you - this  _ is _ the happy ending.”

“Okay.”

“Okay? Is that all?” She could almost see his smirk from 200 miles away.

“Fine, you’re right. I’m not giving up though. I still want to talk to Liam.”

“Brooks, I can’t . . .”

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell him about us.”

“It’s not just that. I . . . I think you should marry him.”

“What?! You can’t mean that!”

“It’s the best thing for all of us. Goodnight Brooks. I . . .” He stopped short.

“Drake?”

“I’m still here for you, you know.”

“I know. Good night.”

Riley crawled into her bed and let the tears start to flow until sleep took her.

*******************************

Riley and the Beaumont brothers flew back to the capital the morning of the Coronation. She’d been quiet during the flight as Bertrand lectured her about how important it would be this week to make the right impressions. If she was Liam’s choice, he would be officially presenting that choice to his parents and the senior members of the court for approval already. She needed to have all the major houses behind her to put her court into place.

Riley couldn’t have cared less about any of that. Maybe if she’d made a bad impression, then Liam wouldn’t get approval and she could be free. She wasn’t sure what would happen to her if Liam didn’t choose her though. Would they put her on the first plane back to New York? Either way, everything would be over that night.

“Bertrand, what if Liam doesn’t choose me? What happens to me?”

“For all our sakes, you’d better hope he does.”

“Yes, Bertrand, I understand that House Beaumont’s entire fucking future rests on Liam choosing me, but I’m asking, what happens TO ME if he does not.”

“Lady Riley, from here on out, you will need to conduct yourself as a future queen. The future Queen of Cordonia certainly does not use profanity.”

“Well, I do. And why will you not just answer the  _ fucking _ question?”

Maxwell jumped in to the rescue. “What Bertrand means is that no matter what happens, we’re on your side. If Liam doesn’t choose you, then we’ll help you figure out what comes next.”

Bertrand glowered at Maxwell.

“Thanks,” Riley shot back. 

“This is everything we’ve worked for this season has led up to this.”

“I’m having second thoughts,” Riley whispered. “This is a lot of pressure to be under.”

Bertrand scowled again, “That may be so, but this is no time for you to develop insecurities.”

“You wouldn’t have made it this far if you couldn’t do it, Riley.”

“Lady Riley . . .”   


“I know,” Riley said slumping in her seat, “don’t mess up.”

Bertrand softened, “That’s not what I was going to say. Lady Riley, I . . . have faith in you.”

“Huh? Oh! Thank -”

“Ahem, but there’s still ample time for you to disappoint me.”

“That’s more like what I was expecting.”

The plane touched down and Bertrand looked to Riley once again. “You have your coronation gift for the Prince?”

“Gift?!”

“ _ Maxwell! _ ”

“Oh, right” Maxwell said. “The Coronation gift! Er, sorry Riley. Hey, I know! Are you any good at writing poems?”

With no time to prepare a fancy gift fit for a king, Riley perused the airport gift shop. She smiled when she came upon a Statue of Liberty keychain.

“What’d ya find Riley?” Maxwell asked, coming up behind her.

“I think this is actually the perfect gift for Liam. He’ll understand what it means.”   


Bertrand and Maxwell both looked dubious, but decided that Riley knew what she was talking about. The next stop was the most upscale boutique in Cordonia’s capital city. The Beaumonts left her there to get ready, promising to pick her up before the event.

Riley entered to find Olivia and Hana.

“Riley!” Hana said, with happiness and relief. Riley immediately crossed the room to give Hana a hug. The last she had seen of Hana was at the end of the Truth or Dare game. They had texted a few times, but seeing her face to face was a breath of fresh air.

“Well, well. Look who dared to show up,” Olivia drawled.

“Mmmm. Hello to you too Olivia.”

“I suppose you’re here to prepare for the ball.”

“Of course,” Riley answered smoothly. Inside, she was dying to tell Olivia off, but it seemed best just to play nice for now.

Hana was searching the racks of dresses. “Riley, have you thought about what you’ll wear?”

“Not . . . exactly,” Riley said, joining her.

“A piece of advice. You’d better not wear red,” Olivia snapped. “That’s my color.”

“Well,” Riley said, “I guess I’ll have to wear red then.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Olivia said with a glare.

“I just might,” Riley said, eyeing a gorgeous red silk dress that looked to be her size. She really didn’t want to get into a pissing match with Olivia, but she did look  _ great _ in red.

“Let’s see if you’re still so confident after you see my gown.” Olivia marched into the dressing room and Riley and Hana burst into giggles.

“I see Olivia is as prickly as ever,” Riley said.

“I think even she knows Prince Liam could very well pick you tonight to be his bride. How does it feel? Have you thought about it much?”

“I . . . really hope he picks someone else. I just feel bad, like I’ve been leading him on this whole time. But if this is how I get to stay in Cordonia with all of you, then I’m excited for that.”

“Have you talked to Drake about what you’re going to do?”

“Ohmygod, there’s so much I didn’t have the chance to tell you!”

Hana squealed, but they were cut off by Olivia stepping from the dressing room in a stunning, glittering red gown. 

“Feast your eyes on this, ladies! You’re looking at a future queen. Praise me now, and maybe I’ll let you carry my goblets.”

Ever polite and charming, Hana smiled. “You look great, Olivia,” she complimented.

“Praise doesn’t mean much coming from a second-tier suitor like you, but thank you all the same.”

“Second-tier?” Hana asked.

“You know, I had you as a third tier at the beginning of the season, so good job working your way up.”

“Olivia, you look great,” Riley said, wishing Olivia would take her compliments and leave.

“See?” Olivia said. “That’s all I wanted. A nice compliment from someone who matters.”

Riley and Hana both glared at Olivia.

“I’m going to change into my dress now,” Hana huffed.

“As though what you’ll wear even matters at this point,” called after her.

Riley rolled her eyes and hoped Hana would ignore Olivia’s needling. “You know, we can all be friends, Olivia. It feels good not being lonely all the time. If you ever want to start playing nice, we’re here for you.”

“This is a competition, in case you’ve forgotten. It might be fun to buddy up with Hana, but at the end of the day, she’s going to go away heartbroken. And have you ever considered that you might be the cause?”

“I . . .” Riley was pretty sure Hana did not really want to marry Liam, but she knew if Hana failed to win tonight, her parents would be furious. Everything about this whole process was so completely fucked up, and if it weren't for the people that she cared about, she would wish for the whole thing to burn to the ground.

“I’m only saying that this competition is hard enough. You should protect yourself, Riley. And remember that people around here never play nice.” Olivia’s comments sounded eerily like what Drake told her at the beginning of the season. Was Olivia actually being . . . friendly . . . in her own way?

Just then, Hana came out in a stunning silver dress. “Well, what do you think?”

“You look stellar,” Riley said, beaming at her best friend.

Riley grabbed a couple dresses and stepped into the dressing room herself. She hoped Olivia wouldn’t bother Hana too much while she was gone. First Riley tried on a strapless white a-line gown with gold embroidery. It looked exactly like what Bertrand had told her to pick, but white really wasn’t her color and she wasn’t sure she wanted to go for a regal, bridal princess look tonight. The second option was the bright red silk mermaid dress that flattered her curves. As soon as she put it on, she knew it was the right pick. 

Riley smiled in anticipation of Drake’s expression when he saw her. Would Drake even come? He had continued to send her goodnight messages, but never anything more and they hadn’t spoken since she called him after the Beaumont Bash. Well, no time to worry about that now. She stepped out of the fitting room and was gratified to see Olivia’s jaw drop.

“So, am I on fire, or am I on  _ fire _ ?”

“Wow!” Hana said, nodding appreciatively.

“I told you red is my color!”

Riley turned back to the large mirror with a satisfied smile, “Turns out . . . it’s mine too.”


	24. The Calm and the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coronation Day, from beginning to end, from Drake's POV.

Drake walked into the parlor for his last breakfast with ‘Prince’ Liam. At tomorrow’s breakfast, he would be King Liam and in all likelihood, engaged to the woman Drake was in love with. He knew he had been grumpy and distant all week, barely able to tolerate being around Liam, but at the same time, wanting to make the most of the last few days when things were as they’d always been.

“Drake! Good morning!”

“Morning Liam. So . . . tomorrow do I have to start bowing and calling you ‘Your Majesty’?”

“No of course not! That part starts tonight.”

In spite of himself, Drake cracked a smile. “Yeah, yeah, don’t remind me.”

“Drake, I know that all of the ceremonial stuff and fancy parties aren’t your thing. I appreciate that you’ll be there, more than you know.”

“What d’you mean?”

“I know you think that I’ve done all this stuff you can never repay me for . . .”

“Because you have.”

“No, you’re the one that has sacrificed everything again and again, to be there for me. I just want you to know that I appreciate it. And I haven’t forgotten what we talked about a few months ago. When the engagement tour is over, you’ll have a more official position. As long as . . . as long as that’s what you want.”

Drake ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know. I was thinking about . . . maybe going back to finish school.”

Liam looked surprised, but quickly smoothed his features. Drake hated when he did that, like he couldn’t just be honest when something upset him. “It’s your decision of course. I would never want to hold you back from what you want to do.”

“But you want me to stay.”

Liam relaxed into a smile, “From a purely selfish angle, yes.”

They turned their attention to the food that a servant put in front of them. When they were almost done with their breakfast, Liam pulled out a small satin box and put it on the table. Drake’s stomach dropped, knowing what was inside and who would be wearing it that night.Trying to swallow his sadness and anger, he raised an eyebrow at Liam. “I know we’re close Liam, but I’m not into you that way.”

“Ha ha. You still think you’re funnier than you are. I wanted your opinion.”

Drake opened the box. It was huge and sparkling and somehow managed to not be gaudy. It was fit for a princess and not anything he would ever be able to give a woman.

“It’s a beautiful ring Liam. And which of the lovely ladies will you be giving it to?”

“Riley, of course. I don’t think I’ve even thought of anyone else since she got here.”

“So, you got the court’s approval then?”

“Honestly, Father and Regina still aren’t happy about it, but they said she had proved to be intelligent and resourceful and they would leave the decision to me.”

Drake’s stomach twisted and he was finding it hard to breathe. He desperately wanted to leave, but knew he couldn’t just walk away.

“Well, congratulations. I’m glad that this whole crazy thing led to something worthwhile.”

Liam beamed. “You’ll still be my best man?”

Drake nodded, unable to actually form words at the moment.

“Good,” Liam said. “I was a bit worried you’d start talking about leaving. You’ve been moping around the palace all week.”

“I have not,” Drake snapped.

“Oh, no, of course not. Just . . . brooding?”

“What’s your point Liam?” Drake grumbled.

“Just checking in on my best friend. I know you’ve been . . . reflecting a lot lately. I can’t explain my plans quite yet, but I do have plans for this year, and I don’t want you to think you’ll be left out or pushed aside..”

“So you’ve said. I’m fine. And sure, we’ll talk about it whenever you can.”

“Great. Now, I have some preparations to make for tonight, but I’ll see you there. Do you have a suit?”

“Maybe.”

Liam actually paused in surprise. “If you show up in a suit tonight, I’ll owe you 20 pushups.”

“Guess you’ll have to wait and see then.”

Liam left, but Bastien lingered behind. He was always there for their morning meals, but stayed a reasonable distance away to give them privacy. Today, instead of following Liam, he approached Drake.

“Drake?”

“Oh, hey, Bastien. Everything all clear for the coronation?”   


“Indeed. Things are coming together nicely. I actually wanted to check on  _ you _ .”

“I’m fine. Why does everyone think I need checking on today?”

“I’ve known you since you were a boy, Drake. I’ve seen you at your best and your worst moments. You’ve never been . . . social . . . shall we say, but you’ve been especially distant this week. I can guess why.”

“Oh, really? And why’s that?”

Bastien hesitated and cleared his throat. “Look, I know how it feels, to watch them get everything you could want. But they are locked into their roles as well. It’s not easy to have to make all the hard choices.”

“Well, I know it’s not easy for Liam, having been his venting partner for twenty-two years. As far as the rest, I don’t want anything they have. So like I said to both you and Liam, I’m FINE.”

Drake walked out past Bastien and out of the room without looking back. Drake doubled the time he usually spent on his morning workout. Usually it helped clear his head, but it seemed like nothing today was going to help him get Riley out of his mind. All he could picture was her smiling at Liam while he gave her that huge ring.

Back in his room, Drake flipped through his phone. His emails from his contacts at various news outlets assured him that no stories would be running that hadn’t already been approved by the crown. Drake wasn’t surprised. Liam was well liked by the people and almost never did anything that caused a problem, especially lately. Even at the Beaumont Bash, Liam had disappeared early, before midnight. Drake had asked him about it and Liam brushed him off, saying he was just tired from the pressure of the social season.

Anytime he thought about the Beaumont Bash, Drake started to spiral. His thoughts went back to kissing Riley in the Beaumont study and outside Hana’s room, to seeing her run through the ballroom in nothing but her underwear, to her suggestively sipping her drink and talking about being stranded on an island together, to talking with her in his room about why they couldn’t be together, and holding her while she cried. It was just too much. Ugh, this is why he didn’t do feelings and relationships. It all just ended badly.

He thought back to their last conversation. She said she was staying. He’d been hoping she would stay and not disappear back to New York. So, why did it feel so awful that she was doing what he wanted, what he  _ asked _ her to do? He wished he could go back and tell her not to marry Liam, that they would figure something out together, the way she wanted to. And now that he had confirmation that Liam would choose her, that the court approved, that she hadn’t told him. Anger surged in Drake. He was angry at Liam for falling for the same woman he did, he was angry at Riley for going along with this whole thing, he was angry at Maxwell for bringing her here in the first place. While it was easy to direct those feelings at his friends, he knew that he was mostly angry with himself for breaking all his own rules. How could he let her in after so many years of shutting people out? And why, why, WHY had he let himself hope that once in his life, someone would choose him for fuck’s sake? Not even his own parents had done that.

Overcome by the weight of unfamiliar emotions, Drake collapsed back in sleep.

*************************

Hours later, Drake woke up to the sound of trumpets. What was happening? Trumpets were for formal events. Oh, the Coronation. He grabbed his phone. Shit! It was already six o’clock. Drake looked up at the suit he’d put out for the occasion and debated whether or not he should actually wear it. Riley’s words at the Beaumont Bash came back to him, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you dress up for these fancy events. It might be a nice change of pace.”

Aright, she wanted him to dress up, he would dress up. Once. For her. And so he could see Liam’s face. Maybe he would make  _ King _ Liam pay him back in push-ups in his formal regalia. That could be a great show for everyone. 

When Drake was ready, he slipped downstairs to the kitchen. He’d missed dinner, but he wasn’t about to starve through another event. With a nod from the head chef, Drake grabbed some leftovers.

He heard a couple of the kitchen staff arguing not too far from him.

“What on earth are cheetah cakes?”

“I don’t know, but you’d better figure out how to make them RIGHT NOW.”

Drake remembered them as some sort of rolled pastry Hana had made for them back before Applewood.

“Where do nobles get these ideas?”

“Who knows. But apparently we now provide room service, so get on it!”

“I can’t wait for all these  _ ladies _ to go home.”

“The whole court is leaving for the tour in a couple weeks, then we’ll get a break.”

“I can’t wait. I haven’t been to the beach even once this summer.”

“Well, we’ll still be preparing for the Royal Wedding, so there still might not be time for the beach.”

“Oh, look! I found a recipe!”

Drake had to laugh. He wondered if it ever even occurred to the nobles that all their crazy requests made things hard for the servants. Or that other people were sacrificing their summer vacations for them.

After putting together a decent meal and finishing it off, Drake made his way upstairs to the ballroom. There was a line of nobles, waiting to greet Liam, so he made a beeline to the bar to grab a whiskey and made himself comfortable in the back. He watched the crowd, scanning for Riley, but she was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Hana. Had something happened? No, there was Maxwell, trying to juggle appetizers. If something was really wrong, he would be with Riley. There was Bertrand, trying to talk with Duchess Adelaide, who was eyeing Maxwell. Drake shivered. Madeleine’s mother was . . . intimidating, even for him.

Suddenly someone sat at the table next to him. Drake was annoyed and turned his glare on . . . Leo. Oh, fuck.

“So, good to see some things never change.”

Drake nodded his head, “Leo.”

“Although, I am fascinated to learn that you own a suit Walker. Did you run out of denim shirts?”

“Well, if this was your Coronation, like it should have been, I wouldn’t have bothered.”

“Add that to the list of reasons why it’s a thousand times better for my brother to be King then.”

“I’ll never forgive you for that, by the way.”

“Aw, don't act like someone took away your favorite toys, Drake. It doesn’t suit you.”

“Whatever Leo. I still think you’re a coward.”

“Exactly. And Liam is not. So tell me about this American hottie that stole my brother’s heart. It seems she’s all anyone wants to talk about at this party.”

Drake’s fists clenched, but he shoved the feeling down. He took a glance at Leo, carefree as always, and sighed. “Sounds like you got the measure of it. She’s an American. She’s hot. Liam loves her. What else do you want to know?”

Leo regarded him with eyes sparkling. “Uh huh. Looks like Liam’s not the only one. Where is she?”

Drake glanced around. Still no Riley. “I dunno. I haven’t seen her here tonight.”

“Well, make sure we’re introduced before my brother proposes. She should know all her options before committing,” Leo said with a wink. And then he was gone. Ugh. Leo was the worst. And also . . . married, right?

Just then, he saw her. Drake was pretty sure his heart had stopped beating completely until he felt it pounding in his chest. Her red dress showed off every perfect curve. She was chatting with Hana and Olivia. The trumpets blared again and Liam made his official entrance, dressed like a King. He whisked Riley onto the dance floor and Drake felt the crushing sadness, anger, and jealousy seep back in as they swirled and twirled around the dance floor effortlessly. 

She looked happy.

And if she was happy with Liam, Drake knew he couldn’t stand in the way. Yet, it reminded him eerily of Savannah at last year’s Beaumont Bash. So happy, looking just like she belonged.

Drake downed the rest of his whiskey, and refilled it from his own flask, not wanting to cross the room to the bar. He didn’t take his eyes off Riley. Olivia appeared next to him.

“So you do own something other than denim.”

“What do you want Olivia?”

She sighed, “Apparently something I’m not going to get. I’m not used to the feeling. . . . But you are. How does it feel Drake? Knowing he’ll get to have her?”

Drake turned his head slowly to look at Olivia, who had a wicked grin on her face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Please Drake. You haven’t looked anywhere but at  _ her _ for months.”

“Are you talking about Brooks?”

“Yes. Watching the two of you run around pining after each other all summer has been positively disgusting. I thought you were better than that.”

“Still don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Olivia barked a laugh. “Fine, if that’s how you want to play it. Can’t say I get it. She’s pretty of course, but nothing compared to me. Or even Hana for that matter. Yet here we are, with you and Liam both drooling all over her like lovesick teenagers.”

“Sounds to me like you’re just jealous. Brooks’’ll make a better queen than you ever could anyway.”

“Don’t make me laugh. You know, last week, I was certain she only had eyes for you. I even stopped considering her a threat . . . but now. . .” Olivia’s eyes darted over to where Riley smiled as Liam warped his arms around her and they swayed to the final notes of the song. “Oh, it looks like the song is over. In twenty seconds, I’m going to go cut in for my dance with Liam. Here’s to a last chance for both of us, don’t waste it Walker.” Drake raised his glass and watched the scene unfold. Riley now had a concerned look on her face and the conversation between her and Liam seemed to have taken a serious turn. Just then, Olivia swooped in between Liam and Riley. Riley scanned the ballroom and her eyes landed on Drake. They were mixed with relief and sadness. He tried hard to push up the walls of resolve, but faced with her . . .

“Riley,” he said when she came close.

“Drake.” She blushed and seemed nervous. “I didn’t know you’d be here tonight.”

Really? Where did she think he would be? Conveniently out of the country. In that moment, he wished he was. What had been so effortless between them suddenly felt awkward and forced. The anger he had felt at all of them surged again and he used all of it to forge new walls between him and Riley. If he didn’t, his heart would probably break for good. This was for the best.

“Liam insisted. I guess I should congratulate you.” Drake could hear the bitterness in his voice and wanted to pull it back, but it was too late.

“Oh?” she stammered.

“You look exactly like one of them. I guess you  _ are _ one of them, now. This time tomorrow, you might be the future queen. And then our lives are going to go in very different directions.”

Riley winced and he saw tears brim in her eyes. He wished he could take the words back. He didn’t mean to hurt her. Or, well, maybe he did, but it didn’t make him feel better.

“Drake, if I’m chosen to be the Prince’s bride, I’ll still be me.” Her voice was quiet and she refused to look at him.

“Looking at you now . . . it’s hard to believe that. This place has a way of changing people. And some of us like the girl you used to be. You know that, right?”

Riley quickly brushed tears aside and fixed him with an unreadable look, “I promise, I’m still the same Riley. If I get too cocky, just remind me that the first time we met I was taking out the garbage and waiting tables.”

“You’ve always been too cocky, but that all feels so long ago now. Can’t believe it’s only been a few months.” A few months and his whole world felt different.

“Yeah, but after everything that’s happened it feels more like once upon a time.”

“Spare me, Brooks. Fairy tales are for kids.”

“I suppose you’re right. Life here isn’t all sparkles and fairy godmothers.”

“I’m glad you’re seeing it for what it is.”

“I always did. It’s why I thought about leaving.”

“Yet, here you are.”

“I could say the same to you. Last chance . . . we could leave.” She’d already made her choice. She was here and Liam was going to propose. Drake tried to remind himself that he would be happy if they were happy. 

Drake sighed. “I wish that were true.”

“It’s nice to get a chance to talk to you tonight. I . . . I miss you.”

“Riley, I . . .” He needed to apologize for hurting her feelings and for not taking her away from all of this before it was too late. But he just couldn’t get the words out.

“What is it?”

“I . . .” His brain was screaming at him all the things he should say. I’m sorry! I miss you too! I love you! Please don’t marry him! Still, his brain would not connect with his mouth. Then Hana came into view and the moment was gone.

“There you guys are!” Hana said cheerfully.

“Whoa, Drake dressed up.” Oh, Maxwell was here too. Great, the gang’s all here. A new song started playing and people started pairing off. Riley looked at him, her eyes pleading.

“Drake, may I have this dance?”

Maxwell and Hana shared a brief look and Maxwell whisked Hana away, leaving them alone again.

“Me? I thought I told you, I don’t know how to waltz.”

“Then you can follow my lead,” she said, letting a smile play on her lips. Drake’s eyes dropped to her lips, red, like her dress, and suddenly he was helpless to argue with her any more. Her hand slid into his, fingers curling around his. He allowed her to drag him onto the dance floor, off to the side, where most people wouldn’t pay much attention to them.

Drake pulled her close, into the position that looked like what Liam and Maxwell had always done. His heart beat a little faster. “Is this right?” he whispered in her ear.

Riley smiled up at him, “It’s perfect. You’re doing great. Just trust me and relax.” He was always asking her to trust him, it was time for him to trust her, so he relaxed his body, and pulled her closer. She led him through the steps, sometimes whispering the next step and sometimes simply pushing or pulling subtly in the right direction. Drake marveled at how she had learned all of this in just a matter of weeks and made it look so effortless. She really was the most amazing woman he had ever met. Why she ever even looked twice at him, he would never understand.

“You’re . . . you’re really good at this, Brooks,” he said, somewhat awkwardly.

“Thank you,” she replied sweetly, pushing gently with her left hand.

“You’re most welcome,” he said, relaxing into whatever move they were doing now. “See? I can be a gentleman from time to time.”

“Only when it suits you, I see.” He groaned inwardly at the harsh words he had thrown at her, not ten minutes ago.

“Pretty much.”

“You should twirl me now.”

“Huh?” How was he supposed to . . . 

“Twirl me! Just lift your arm, and I’ll do the rest.” He lifted his right arms and Riley spun elegantly underneath it. 

“That was . . .” He started to get a bit nervous again. She should be dancing with Liam or Maxwell, not trying to whisper instructions to him and probably embarrassing them both.

“Why Drake, you look impressed.”

“You always seem to impress me, Brooks.”

She smiled up at him and his resolve faltered. He needed to step back, to stay in the shadows, so she could live with Liam in the sun, but he just couldn't stay away from her. The music came to an end, but they didn’t let go. He wanted to hold on for as long as he could. Finally, with the last notes fading, they pulled apart.

“Well, Brooks. I guess I should thank you for the dance.

She straightened and smoothed his tie and gently patted his chest. “We’ll make a gentleman of you yet.”

“Heh.” As they walked off the dance floor, they were joined by Hana and Maxwell.

“Ready to hit the hors d’oeuvres table?” Maxwell asked.

“I’d love to,” smiled Hana.

“Great, more fancy finger food.” It was a good thing he already ate.

“It’ll be fun!” Hana declared. “Come on!” Reluctantly he followed the others to the food.

“Man, these look fancy! Think these’ll stack up to the appetizers we made?” Maxwell said, picking up one of each.

“Only one way to find out,” Riley said, selecting something in a cup.

“Oh, the marinated chicken skewer. Excellent choice,” said Hana, choosing the same. Drake picked the bread with tomatoes, which Hana informed him was called bruschetta.

“Okay, it’s delicious, said Riley, who quickly polished off her skewer.

“But nothing compared to our caviar and paprika creation!”

Hana looked confused. “You guys still haven’t really explained why you were the ones making the appetizers that day.”

Riley grinned, “Honestly, we’re broke.”

Maxwell choked on his chicken. “Riley! Bertrand’s gonna kill us.”

Riley leaned in to Drake and whispered, “I don’t give a fuck what Bertrand thinks. Maybe it will get me out of this whole thing.” Drake chuckled.

“I think you mean Bertrand’s gonna kill  _ you _ . He still needs Riley,” Drake pointed out.

Maxwell looked nervously around the room. “Very funny.”

“Come on, this is Hana we’re talking to. We can trust her with the truth,” Riley said, rolling her eyes.

Hana sighed deeply. “I’d be the last person to judge you, anyway. My parents have more money than they know what to do with, but that hasn’t brought them any glory or happiness. In fact, I think it’s made them push me even harder. Anyway, it hardly matters what secrets you tell me. Lady Riley already knows this, but tonight’s my last night at court. My parents have officially called me home. I must depart tomorrow morning.”

Maxwell looked stricken. “That sucks!”

Drake was surprised at the wave of sadness he felt. Their little group of friends was going to be broken up by more than Liam and Riley’s engagement. “I’m really sorry to see you go, Hana.”

“Thanks, Drake.”

“But hey” Maxwell said, eyes now sparkling. Uh oh, it was party-Maxwell coming out. “If this is your last night here, then you’ve got nothing left to lose!”

“Except my dignity,” Hana said, looking horrified.

“Dignity is overrated,” Maxwell said, just a tad too loudly.

“Maxwell . . .”

“I’m just saying . . . you know how people are always saying ‘party like there’s no tomorrow’? Well, for you, there really is no tomorrow. So we should really paaaaaaaaarty!” 

“I don’t know . . .”

“Come one. There must be a few things that you’ve been dying to do since you came here.”

“Well . . .” Hana said, looking more cheerful already. “There are a few things I never checked off my list . . . but I don’t know.”

Riley’s eyes were lit up like she just had the best idea. “It’ll be fun for all of us. . . “

“Well . . . okay! What should we do first?” Leave it to Riley to push people outside their comfort zone.

“Tonight should be about what you want to do. Let’s make some memories.”

“It’d be nice to have a special moment with each of you. Drake, my last moment with you should definitely involve whiskey.”

Of all the things they had done together this summer, this was starting out as one of the best ones. “Now I like where this is going. What did you have in mind?”

“I want to have a shot of whiskey with you.”

Yes! Hana for the win. Who knew that she would turn out to be one of his best friends. “I’m sold.” He started walking toward the bar, but Hana grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

“Not the bar’s whiskey. Your whiskey.”

Riley giggled and Drake shot a look at her. “You heard her.”

“You want me to share my ‘break in case of emergency’ whiskey? I’m not sure Hana can handle it.”

“Come on, she’s tougher than she looks. She finished all the cocktails we made for her.”

How did such a great idea go so horribly wrong. “Why do I have a bad feeling about this . . .”

“Drake . . .”

“Who’s to say I even have whiskey on me? This is a formal event with an open bar.”

Riley raised an eyebrow at him. “Drake . . . I will reach into your jacket and get out your flask myself if I have to.”

“Okay, okay! Bossy as ever.” They went to the bar and Drake asked for two glasses. Riley cleared her throat.

“None for the rest of us?” Maxwell asked. 

“This is why I never wanted friends.” Drake nodded to the bartender, who produced two more glasses. He pulled out his flask and emptied it into the four glasses.

“Here. To you, Hana.” 

“To Hana! Cheers!” Riley added. The four of them clinked their glasses together and downed the shots.

“That’s strong!” exclaimed Hana.

“Of course. It’s my personal stash. You think I’d get the weak stuff?”

Hana coughed a bit, but smiled at him through watery eyes. “You know Drake, you’re far nicer than you let on. I’m going to miss you.”

“Hell, I’ll miss you too. You’re nothing like the other nobles.”

“Hey!” Maxwell interjected. Drake ignored him.

“Thanks Drake. That means a lot,” Hana said.

“Okay, that’s about all the sentimentality I can handle for one night. Good luck, Hana.”

“You too, Drake,” she said, suddenly serious and gave him a hug. 

The ‘friendship’ moment over, Drake gave a look to Riley and let his eyes drop. Then he made his way outside. 

There was a bar station set up in the courtyard from the cocktail hour. Now it was deserted. Drake sat alone wondering how things had gone so wrong this summer. It was all supposed to be simple. Help Liam through the social season and be his sounding board for making a good choice. Then . . . then what? He’d never thought beyond Liam’s wedding.

With Riley here, everything was called into question. For the first time in his life he was thinking about the future and about what he wanted in his life. The problem was any time he tried to imagine a future, all he could see was her. He would drown himself in more whiskey, but his friends had finished it for him. Again, thanks to Riley.

“Can we talk?”

Riley. Great. He couldn’t imagine what else they could possibly say. But he never said no to her. Drake sighed and gestured to the other empty barstool.

“Go ahead. You know I’m always willing to talk to you.” Drake looked at the bar with no bartender. “What’s a guy gotta do to get a drink around here?”

Riley jumped up with a smile. “Well, lucky for you, in addition to being a waitress, I took a turn or two at the bar whenever the occasion called for it.”

She stood in front of him, pulling out bottles and a cocktail shaker.

“You’re gonna make me a drink?”

“The best you’ve ever had. Now, let’s get started. First we need apple cider vinegar. Sour, just like you.”

“Thanks,'' he said flatly. Riley cupped her hand to his face, making him look at her.

“I’m only teasing,” she said softly. She brushed her thumb against his cheekbone, then pulled back. “Next, something down to earth . . . orange juice.”

“Alright . . .” This drink sounded very strange.

“And then we top it off with a double shot of whiskey.”

He couldn’t help but smile. She always managed to make him smile in spite of himself. It was almost uncomfortable how much he had smiled in the last couple months. “Now you’re talking. You know, you could’ve just poured me whiskey on the rocks and I would’ve been a happy man.”

“And where would the fun be in that?” She shook it up and poured two glasses. “Now are you ready for the final result?”

“Never been more ready.” She pushed over the colorful looking cocktail to him. Drake took a sip, and was surprised. It was actually . . . pretty good.

“Well?”

“I could get used to this.” It probably wouldn’t replace his preference for straight whiskey, but he had to admit that having a little variation wasn’t all bad. Just like everything else, Riley had once again managed to open up his world a bit more. Riley slid back onto the barstool and sipped happily on her drink.

“Done playing bartender?”

“Last customer didn’t even leave a tip!”

“Sorry. Must’ve left my wallet in my other fancy jacket.”

“Speaking of which,” she said, turning to face him directly, “you look very handsome.”

“I mean, I know I’m no Prince Liam -”

“You clean up good, Drake,” she said, cutting him off. Her eyes were locked on his.

“Thanks.”

“And here I thought you said you’d only dress up if there was someone you wanted to impress.”

“Yeah, well . . . I guess, maybe I found someone worth impressing.”

“Drake . . .” She moved closer.

“If only for tonight.” Her face fell and he saw tears shining in them again. Fuck! He didn’t want to make her cry again. “Anyway, I’m glad we were able to have a few minutes out here together. Thanks for the drink, Brooks.” He stood, but she put a hand on his arm.

“Hey, you’re always calling me by my last name and I don’t even know yours.”

Drake almost laughed. He had told her about Savannah, his childhood, his mom. He’d shared anything and everything she’d ever asked him about, but never even told her his last name.

“And you consider us to be friends,” he said, with a heavy dose of sarcasm.

“I do.” Her eyes were wide and serious now. “So tell me.”

“What is it with you and prying into my life? Can’t you let a man keep a few walls up?” He was mostly kidding and she knew it. She also, apparently, wasn’t in the mood.

“Cut the shit Drake, we’re way past these games, don’t ya think? Come on, tell me.”

Drake just shook his head. “If you must know . . it’s Walker.”

Riley grinned at him. “Walker, huh. I guess I’d better start calling you Walker.”

“Uh, no.”

“What’s wrong Walker? Turnabout’s fair play!”

“Calling you by your last name is  _ my _ thing.”

“Too bad, Walker.”

“Fine, I guess I can start calling you Riley.”

She stopped short and her expression changed. “It just sounds weird now to hear you say that!”

“See?”

“Okay, okay. Drake it is.”

Riley reached out and brushed her hand against his, sending electricity running through him.“I wanted to ask . . . it seemed like you were about to say something earlier?”

It looked like this was his chance to apologize and maybe try to say all the things he tried to say earlier. “I was going to say that I was wrong. No matter what happens tonight. Crown or no crown, engaged or . . .not, you’re still you.” Drake swallowed hard, hoping she understood.

“Weren’t you just telling me how I’m one of  _ them _ now?”

“I was being an idiot. I shouldn’t have said that. I knew it as soon as the words were out of my mouth. You didn’t deserve that.”

“I know how much you hate them. . . it was like you hated me now.”

“I know. I’ve been angry this whole week and it just came out.”

“Angry with me? For staying? Fuck, Drake! I’m only staying because I don’t want to live an ocean away from you.”

“Mostly angry with myself. I was out of line. It’s just . . . in that moment, when I saw you at the ball, you reminded me of Savannah. How she was the last night we went out with the nobles at that party. She was so happy in her fancy gown, with her hair all done up. So hopeful. She lit up the entire room. She really believed she’d made it. That she was one of them.And I still don’t know what happened to her, what made her leave. But it was bad. It was something that broke her. I’ll never forget how devastated she looked the day before she disappeared. She looked . . . hopeless. Like she’d given up. And when I looked at you tonight . . . I couldn’t stop myself from imagining the same thing happening to you. This place seems shiny and wonderful, but the truth is, it breaks people, Brooks. I don’t ever want to see you broken.”

Drake took a deep breath. “Drake, I’m not Savannah.”

“Believe me, I know that. You’re stronger than she ever was. If anyone can survive this place . . . it’s you. So, then I saw how happy you looked dancing with Liam and I couldn’t deal with the jealousy. It all got mixed with my anger about this whole competition, missing my sister, feeling like I was losing someone else I . . . care about. Hell Brooks, my life would’ve been so much easier if I could’ve just hated you. I -” Drake couldn’t finish. The truth was he didn’t hate her, he was in love with her. If only he could just say so.

He realized he’d gone quiet. Riley stood and came to stand right in front of him. He could smell her shampoo, sending him back to the first time they’d kissed in the Beaumont study. This could be their last chance. . .

“What were you thinking about just now?” she asked.

“I was thinking if this is the last time we’re going to be alone together before you’re an engaged woman, I’d be a damned fool not to kiss you.”

“Drake . . . kiss me now.”

What the hell? Maybe Liam would find out and send them away. Drake pulled her close with such force that she gasped, half a second before his mouth met hers. His tongue sought hers as he deepened the kiss. She met him with as much passion and desperation as he felt. His hands roamed down her back and along the curve of her hips. He tightened his grip. She moaned against his mouth. The taste of whiskey and oranges lingered. He wanted more. He wanted everything. All too soon, though it could have been hours for all he knew, Riley finally broke the kiss, gasping for air, but smiling at him and not loosening the embrace. He realized they were both holding on as tightly as the could, as if letting go would be letting go forever.

Drake leaned down, touching his forehead to hers. “Brooks . . .I want to remember this. Right here. I don’t want to know what happens next. I just want to stay in this moment here with you.”

“Drake . . .” she breathed. When she said his name like that, it only made him want her more. Riley leaned into him and looked up to meet him in another searing kiss. But moments after their lips met, they heard the palace doors open behind them, and voices. They sprang apart. Drake’s hand flew up to his mouth, wiping any trace of Riley’s bright red lipstick. He wanted to laugh at how her tease about lipstick in the Beaumont study still rang in his ears. 

“Looks like the party found us,” he said, unable to stop smiling.

“It’s not really a night where you can get any privacy, is it?” Riley said with a wink.

No, as much as he might want it, they were not in private. And they never would be again.

“You’d better head back inside,” he said sadly.

“What about you?” She reached for his hand, but he pulled away and sat back down. “I’ll be out here until . . it’s time.” 

“Okay,” she whispered. “But you’ll come back inside?”

He nodded. Slowly, Riley walked back inside.

Drake finished the drink Riley had made for him, then poured himself some more whiskey. He pulled out his phone, one last check that all was well in the tabloids. He saw a few articles about the Coronation, all very complimentary about Liam. There was a Beaumont Bash Best Dressed article with a picture of Riley looking like she stepped out of a fairy tale. The caption said, “Dress for the job you want! Lady Riley looks like the princess we deserve in a stunning blue ball gown.” She really was the princess everyone deserved. And here he was, almost screwing that up for her and everyone else. He had no right to kiss her like that again. Hell, he shouldn’t have done it the first . . . five times. 

With everything looking good on the publicity front, he scrolled through his photos. He’d never really been a picture guy, but between the end of June and through August, there were more pictures than the last year and a half combined. 

There were pictures of Riley and Maxwell playing charades in Lythikos. Pictures of Hana’s desserts. Riley had asked him to take a picture of it because it was too pretty to eat, but she was going to eat it anyway and her phone had died. There was a picture of Riley with her snowman. He remembered that he thought she looked cute dressed up in winter clothes. There was a picture of his campground next to the lake he’d sent Riley because she’d wanted to see where he was. There was a group selfie of the four of them at the beach party and a picture of Hana and Maxwell covered in barbecue sauce. 

There were pictures of Riley’s apple pies that Bertrand never did let her taste and some of Hana’s with elaborate designs on the top. Riley had made a joke that she should go on some show called ‘Nailed It’ after failing to replicate one of Hana’s designs. There was a selfie of Drake and Riley at the bar he took her to when she couldn’t sleep. Drake was struck by how happy they both looked in that picture and he remembered that it was that night that he realized he loved her. 

There was a group shot of the five of them in front of the Western Bar they’d gone to on his birthday and a picture of him with the whiskey Riley made the bartender give him. There was also one of him and Liam that night that Riley or Maxwell must have taken when he wasn’t looking. There was a picture of Riley and Hana drinking the Sangria Riley made for her and Hana’s Sakura Martini that he had made. There were several of Riley with Marabelle, he liked those the best. So beautiful. . . There was a screenshot of the floral arrangement he’d copied for the Beaumont Bash. There was the picture he’d taken of the French address on the envelope from the Beaumont study.

He stopped there because looking at any more pictures from the Beaumont Bash only made him think about kissing Riley and he knew that wasn’t going to happen again. A wave of irritation at his own sentimentality washed over him and he checked the time. He needed to be back in the ballroom for the proposal and the official Coronation. 

When Drake arrived in the ballroom, the crowds were starting to gather. He saw the King and Queen taking their places on the dais at the front of the room. Where was Liam? He scanned the room and saw him off in a corner with Riley. It looked like a very serious conversation, but Olivia apparently can’t read a room and was walking straight toward them. They spoke for a moment before Bastien came to take Liam to his place and Olivia headed toward the exit . . . crying. Oliva Nevrakis crying? What the hell happened? Did Liam tell her he wasn’t going to marry her? But Riley was chasing after her. He doubted that she would want to talk to Riley of all people, but Riley was exceptionally good at getting people to talk, whether they wanted to or not.

The toasts began. First up was Duchess Adelaide who gave a rambling and rather suggestive toast that made Madeleine turn about five different colors of red. Heh. That’s kind of funny. Next was Duke Hakim, Kiara’s father with a typically diplomatic and complimentary speech. Hana and Maxwell joined Drake as the speeches droned on.

“Drake, have you seen Riley? Bertrand is having a meltdown!” Maxwell whispered.

“Yeah, Olivia ran out of here crying and Riley went after her.”

“ _ Olivia _ was crying,” Hana gasped.

“I know, I’ve known Olivia since she was five and I don’t think I’ve ever seen her cry before.”

Maxwell looked worriedly around the room. “Something’s wrong. We need to get Riley back ASAP.”

Drake was surprised at Maxwell’s tone. “Is there something else? I mean, I know Olivia isn’t the emotional type, but I figured it was just because she knows Liam won’t pick her . . . and, well, you know how she’s always been about Liam.”

Maxwell started shuffling his feet around to an unheard beat, but his face looked anxious. Drake recognized it as Maxwell’s ‘stress dancing.’

Hana asked first, “Maxwell, are you alright?”

“Me? Um, yeah, I’m great. I . . . ok, promise you two won’t say anything? Riley got a threatening letter.”

“What?!” Drake saw red. “Who would threaten her? What did it say?”

“I just said not to say anything!”

“From who?” Drake demanded, more quietly this time.

“We don’t know, but Olivia got one too. . .”

Suddenly Drake was very worried. If someone was threatening Olivia and Riley . . . she wasn’t safe here anymore. She needed to get back in here as soon as possible. The last of the toasts wrapped up and Maxwell met up with Bertrand to go find Riley.

Hana looked up at Drake with sympathy. “She’ll be okay.”

He gritted his teeth, still filled with dread. “You don’t know that. This place . . .”

“Liam will protect her.” Drake relaxed a little. Yes, in ten minutes she’d be engaged to Liam and he would be King. He could protect her. “Drake . . . I’m sorry about. . . I’m sorry things didn’t work out for you and Riley. For what it’s worth . . . I think you were really good for each other.”

Drake sighed. “S’alright Hana. I always knew how this story ended. You can’t change the stars.”

He saw Bertrand and Maxwell pushing Riley closer to the front as King Constantine addressed the crowd. With a glance at Hana, they moved up to stand on either side of her.

“I can’t believe it’s finally happening,” Hana whispered.

“Here we go . . “ said Drake.

Constantine made a speech about seeing Cordonia through troubled times and how proud he was to pass it on to Liam.

“. . . Today, I pass the royal signet ring to you. Cordonia is yours, my son.”

The crowd broke into applause. Riley cheered, “Let’s hear it for Liam!”

Bertrand scowled at her. “Lady Riley, compose yourself!”

Liam stepped up to the front, “Thank you all for being here tonight. This is an incredible honor and a responsibility that I don’t take lightly. I only hope that I can serve Cordonia with the distinction that my father did.” He embraced first his father and then Regina. Drake felt the monumental shift in his best friend’s life. He was a King now, with the responsibility of an entire country on his shoulders.

Regina stepped to the front. “And now the time has come. Your Prince will choose his bride. I want to thank all the young ladies who have spent the social season with us. I could imagine any one of you being a fitting queen for my son.” One of the royal advisors approached and whispered something to the King. Regina quickly joined him. They were looking at some information. The King waved Liam over to confer. Liam looked shocked, then angry.

Phones started to buzz around the room. Drake went cold. This was not good at all. 

“ _ Oh my _ !” Madeleine said in a fake scandalized tone. 

Drake took out his phone, afraid to see what everyone was buzzing about. He felt Riley’s hand in his free hand and he squeezed. 

“Oh non!”

“She  _ wouldn’t _ . . .”

Drake clicked on the notification for a CBC breaking report. There on his screen were pictures of Riley, in her room at Applewood, in her underwear with Tariq’s hands on her. She was facing away from the camera, so no one could see her face, the way he had, filled with terror. Still, it was unmistakably her, with her long dark waves. Some of the shots had a profile of her with Tariq kissing her. Drake felt all the rage he had felt back in Applewood surge back through him

“Bertrand!” Maxwell cried in a strained voice. Had she told Maxwell? Drake didn’t know.

“What!” Bertrand hissed. Maxwell shoved his phone at Bertrand.

“Those bastards!” Drake looked down at Riley, realizing he was probably crushing her hand.

Fear and tears filled her eyes, “Drake, what is it?” He realized she must have been worried it was something about  _ them _ .

“That night Tariq thought you walked into his room . . . Someone got photos of it. You were set up.”

“It’s all over the news,” Hana gasped. “Not just Cordonian news either!” Hana held up her phone for Riley to see. Riley's hand was shaking and he saw tears start to spill from her eyes and her breathing came in short gasps. He recognized the signs of a panic attack from his time helping Liam recover from the assasination attempt. He needed to get Riley out of here so she could calm down.

Suddenly, the Royal Guards were standing next to them, led by Bastien.

“I’m so sorry, Lady Riley, but I’ve been ordered to escort you out . . . immediately. Along with the representatives from House Beaumont.” Drake held onto Riley’s hand even tighter and felt a growl building in his throat. He wanted to scream at Bastien. He needed to get Riley out, but not like this! How dare he humiliate her after pictures of a fucking assault on her had been published!

“This is absurd!” Drake heard Bertrand yelling, but did not care. All his attention was on Riley.

“You can’t do this to Riley!” Maxwell. Drake’s head was swimming and he tried to focus on Riley and only Riley.

Bastien and two other guards grabbed Riley and yanked her away, wrenching her hand from Drake’s.

Drake grabbed Bastien’s arm. “Get your hands off her!”

Bastien tried to shrug him off, but when Drake didn’t let go, he nodded to two others. They came at Drake immediately, but Drake tried to push through the crowd to get to Riley. The guards grabbed him. He spun on one and punched him in the face, feeling his nose break under his fist. It was a new, youngish guy, around Drake’s own age. It took four guards to hold him back as they dragged Riley, Maxwell and Bertrand from the Ballroom. Drake glanced back at Liam, who seemed confused. Fuck, Liam! You’re the King! Tell them to stand down! Drake heard Regina speak, but he couldn’t focus on anything but Riley, who kept looking back. He heard her call for him and for Liam. He made one, last futile attempt to push the guards off of him, but they had him completely restrained. He could see that not far away, they had Hana as well, tears streaming down her face. Drake looked back to Liam again, who was speaking angrily with his father. Then . . .

“I choose . . . Lady Madeleine.”

“I’m deeply, deeply honored to accept,” the tiny blonde bitch said, taking her place on the dais next to Liam. Liam smiled at her and offered her the ring that Liam had shown Drake that morning. The one he had told Drake was for Riley. Drake heard the ballroom doors slam behind him - Riley was gone. It was like all the air had left the world and all the lights had been turned off.

It was another three minutes before the guards released their hold on Drake, with a warning that he wasn’t to try anything. Hana ran over to him. “I’m going to go check her room!”

“I’ll go try and cut them off from taking her anywhere. Maybe I can convince them that I’ll get her out of here.”

Hana looked down, “I can’t believe Liam asked . . . I just. . .”

“Me too,” Drake agreed. “We have to figure out what the hell happened tonight.”

Drake ran out into the hallway, only to be stopped by Bastien.

“You can’t follow her Drake.”

“Watch me,” he said pushing past Bastien.

“Just be glad it wasn’t worse,” Bastien called out to Drake.

Drake stopped cold. He turned back to Bastien, “What THE FUCK is that supposed to mean? She was sexually assaulted in her own room by that pompous douche Tariq and you know it. You know it, because I told you what happened the next day. You said the door handle was probably nothing. Now we know she was set up, but everyone in the country, maybe the world, thinks she's some kind of crown-chasing slut! How would it be worse?”

“I kept you out of it.”

“Stop being cryptic Bastien, what do you mean you kept me out of it?”

“There were other pictures from that night. Ones with you and her together. I killed that part of the story because I care about you Drake. Neither you nor Liam deserved for that part of the story to come out. At least not like this.”

Drake was again filled with anger and dread. That night? Nothing happened that night. But he was in her room, she had taken his shirt off, he had held her close to him. He had stopped being careful for just a moment. Bastien was right, it could have been worse.

“Yes, I was in her room that night, pulling that son of a bitch Tariq off of her and making sure she was alright - like I TOLD YOU THE NEXT DAY. I don’t care what you  _ think _ was going on in whatever pictures you saw, but SHE didn’t deserve any of this. If you were able to get them to pull one part of the story, you could have had them pull the rest. Now tell me where they took her!”

“The story was going to run no matter what. She’s gone Drake. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry.” 

He ran out to the front where the security cars would be parked, it hadn’t been that long. They would have let her get her things though, maybe Hana had slowed them down. Just as he got there, he saw a flash of dark hair getting into one of the cars with three guards. Drake ran to catch up. He would jump in front of the car if he had to. But they drove off, leaving him alone in the drive.

They would have taken her to the airport, he could follow . . . but he didn’t think the Royal Guard would let him anywhere near her. But why? Why keep him and Hana away from her? Why were they detaining Maxwell and Bertrand? Someone didn’t want to give her the chance to explain what happened with anyone who could possibly corroborate the story. 

And Bastien . . . knew about the story! Why didn’t any of his contacts warn him? Whoever set-up and leaked those photos had a lot of power and influence. . .

Drake decided to try and find Hana, so he made his way back to Riley’s room. Hana and Liam were both there. Everything that was Riley’s was gone, it looked like every other guest room again. Drake felt a momentary flash of anger at Liam, but it quickly dissipated. He knew Liam had been blindsided by this whole thing.

"I thought I'd find you two here."

"Drake! I told Liam about what happened that night with Tariq. He never believed it to begin with, of course. . ." Hana said.

Liam was stone faced.

"Have you heard anything? Please tell me you have some good news. . ." Drake said to his best friend, who was now the King.

"The security team forced her to pack her stuff and took her to the airport." No shit.

"It isn't right." Hana fumed.

"I know. None of it is. They took her away and there was nothing I could do to stop it.  _ Dammit _ ." Liam pounded a fist into the desk. 

Drake was less than impressed with Liam’s reaction. Actually, yeah, he could have called them off. Liam could have at least told them to let Drake and Hana go, so they could have helped her.

"We've got to think clearly right now." Drake said.

"How can you be so calm about all this?" Hana asked curiously. That was fair, he wasn’t usually the one to diffuse a tense situation.

"Because we've got to. For her."

Hana nodded, taking a long shaky breath. "You're right." 

"Yes. Now more than ever we've got to come up with a plan," Liam said, moving to a chair.

"Exactly. What matters now is how we react. Everyone will be watching Liam to see what he does."

Hana took a seat on the bed. "So… what  _ are _ you going to do, Liam?"

"We've got to play this carefully. There's too much at risk here. We don't know who was plotting against Lady Riley, or how far this treachery runs. Lady Olivia also left under duress earlier tonight. It's possible someone was working to eliminate both of them so I'd choose Madeleine."

"So you played exactly into their plan." Hana said in frustration.

"I thought it'd be best to give them the illusion of a win."

"That's smart," Drake acknowledged. At least it would get the mysterious blackmailer off Riley’s back and probably not put anyone else in danger.

"I feel so helpless. I can't even be here. My parents have sent for me to leave in a matter of hours." Hana looked up at the ceiling, tears in her eyes.

"Is there no way around it?" Liam asked, suddenly diplomatic.

"They're my parents. I don't know how I could convince them to let me stay. They'd have to believe that there's some sort of advancement of my social station… Or a potential marriage."

"Leave that to me."

"What can you do?"

"I am the King of Cordonia. I'm sure Lady Madeleine knows that if she wants to keep our engagement, she'll have to give me something. Perhaps I can convince her to make you a part of her court."

"You'd do that for me? Really?"

"Of course… if it's what you want?"

"My parents would be _ thrilled _ !" Hana said cautiously and then smiling. "They'd have to let me return! Not only could I promise them I'd be advancing my station, but as a member of Madeleine's court, I'd be well positioned for a match."

"Then it's decided." 

"Are you sure you want to go through all that trouble for me?"

"Lady Hana, you've proven yourself to be a true and loyal friend to us and Lady Riley. And you’ll be able to see her when I cannot. I trust you’ll look out for her.”

“Of course. As much as I can.” 

“And I hope I’m not being too presumptuous, but I’ve come to consider you my own friend, as well.” 

“I’m very pleased to hear that. I feel the same way!” Hana got up to hug Liam and then they both turned to Drake . . . with very different expressions.

“And Drake, I know I can count on you to help Riley,” Liam said. Hana had a small smile on her lips and Drake hoped she had a poker face.

Drake pulled out his phone to see if there was still a chance to catch Riley’s flight. He needed to get to her as soon as possible. In fact, he should probably text her and make sure she was alright, to let her know he’d be there as soon as he could. “Help Brooks? I’ll be on the next flight to New York.”

“That’s… not exactly what I had in mind.” Liam said.

Drake hesitated and looked questioningly at Liam. “Don’t you think one of us should go, to make sure she’s okay?”

“I’d like nothing more. But you must be careful, too. You are known to be my best friend. If you’re seen with her too soon, it’ll only stir rumours that I’m reaching out to her through you. And that would put Riley in danger.”

Drake deflated. Liam was right, it could put her in danger. So could texting her. And if Bastien was to be believed, there were other pictures of them that might get released if he was seen with her, adding fuel to the fire. “So… stay away. Got it.”

“At least until she returns to court. Besides, she’ll have the Beaumonts with her. They’ll protect her. And hopefully, she’ll be beyond the reach of this conspiracy.”

Drake snorted at the thought of Bertrand and Maxwell protecting anyone. Bertrand would probably try lecturing them to death and Maxwell would probably challenge them to a dance battle or something equally ridiculous.

“What makes you so sure the Beaumont’s will go after her? I can’t imagine that Bertrand would want to associate with her right now. . .”

Liam hesitated. Drake sensed that he hadn’t thought of the possibility that the Beaumonts wouldn’t believe in her innocence. “Well, I do believe Bertrand will want to clear her name, if only to clear the name of House Beaumont. But . . . you’re right. I need to go make sure they are released from their detainment and get them the message that I very much want Lady Riley to  _ stay _ in Cordonia.”

“So, that’s it then. Hana goes back to China, you make sure that the Beaumont’s keep Riley in Cordonia, and I start looking for clues as to who did this.”

“Yes, that’s all we can do for now. It’s also best if none of us communicate through electronic means until we know who is responsible for this. So, no calling or texting the Beaumonts, or even each other. We don’t know what they have access to.”

“Right. So . . . wait and see. Then I’ll see you in the morning.” Drake walked back to his room, wondering if there was enough whiskey in the world to get through the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter was almost the end of the every other chapter alternating viewpoint because it is sooooooo long. Most of my chapters are around 4000-5000 words an this one is 10,000. Yikes! Seriously, this chapter is longer than my master's thesis was! But really, this is just the beginning of some very long chapters. I decided to keep the POV alternating between chapters though, however long that ends up making them.
> 
> Although I really loved writing this day from Drake's perspective, I really miss some of the fun scenes, like Hana clapping back at Olivia and sliding down the bannister with Maxwell, so I miiiiiiiiight do a companion piece to this chapter and do Riley's perspective. We'll see if the inspiration strikes. For now, I hope you enjoyed this particular roller coaster ride along with my man Drake (tbh, he doesn't enjoy it very much).
> 
> Thank you so much for all your comments. You are far kinder than I deserve!


	25. Exile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riley has to choose between returning to the US to rebuild her life or staying in Cordonia to clear her name. Maxwell helps Riley process the aftermath of the scandal back at Ramsford.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Book 2 of The Royal Romance! One of the things that I find a little hard to believe about canon (okay, we can admit that the whole thing stretches logic, but go with me on this one) is how quickly Riley rebounds from the scandal. I wanted to explore the social exile from both sides, this chapter being Riley's side of it. Obviously, Maxwell plays a big role in helping her through this period, so this chapter is for all of my Maxwell-loving friends, I hope I wrote his scenes well for you guys! And finally, I needed Riley to regain some of her power back. She's been a bit of a mess ever since Tariq walked in on her and I was starting to miss the Riley that doesn't take shit from anyone. She's not quite there yet, but she makes some steps in the right direction.

Riley sat numbly in the chair at the airport. There were only a few other people waiting to get on the short flight to Rome. The guards stayed close by, but it was so unnecessary, it wasn’t like she was going to try running back to the palace. She sat there staring at her one way ticket. A short flight to Rome and then another direct flight to New York. It crossed her mind that this ticket was handed to her when she got there, the arrangements had already been made. Someone planned all of this.

What difference did any of that make anymore though. She held on tight to her phone, waiting for Drake or Hana or Maxwell to text her. But no message came. Not even from Drake. Not even “Are you ok?” or “We’ll figure this out.” It hurt, but no tears came. There weren’t anymore. Drake had pushed her away for the last time. Liam couldn’t even be bothered to call off his guards and talk to her, not even five minutes after telling her he loved her. She knew he was only in love with an idea . . . but it still hurt when he said Madeleine’s name and let her be thrown out of the palace like a . . .

“Now boarding for passengers, flight PB205.”

“Finally.” The guards moved to make sure she got on the plane. “Don’t worry, I’m not trying to escape, I’m just trying to get out of this fucking country.” She should have left after the Beaumont Bash. Then she remembered what Drake had said about the press speculating why she left if she dropped out of the competition . . . they probably would have just run with this story sooner. Oddly, one of the biggest things she could still feel was relief. She was relieved that she would not be trapped in a marriage and life that wasn’t her choice and she was relieved that the decision was taken out of her hands. She would have said ‘yes’ to Liam, to save him the embarrassment, but she did not think she would have made it to the wedding. Riley grabbed her bag and walked toward the gate, she lined up behind a family with two sleeping toddlers. “Good bye, Cordonia . . .” 

She reached into her pocket for her boarding pass, ready to hand it to the flight attendant at the gate.

“Wait! Riley!” 

Maxwell?

She turned to see Bertrand and Maxwell rushing toward her. Nope. Not happening again Maxwell. He had talked her into staying in Cordonia for the last time.She turned and handed the boarding pass to the attendant. The guards stepped in between her and the Beaumonts. Wow, why were they so intent on getting her on that plane?

“Hey!” Maxwell said.

“You will keep your hands to yourselves. I am the  _ Duke of Ramsford _ !” Bertrand shouted at them. The guards stepped back. Riley couldn’t help but watch the whole scene, open-mouthed.

“That’s better. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have business to conduct. Or will House Beaumont have to demand recompense for yet another slight?”

The guards moved aside and Maxwell ran and caught Riley in a hug. “Riley!”

In spite of herself, she hugged him back tightly. At least one of her friends cared about her. 

“Did you come here to help me?”

“Well, kind of? I mean, not in the sense that we have any answers, but we  _ are _ here for you. We still believe in you, Riley!”

“Really?” She glanced at Bertrand. “Both of you?”

“Just tell me . . . is it true? That you’ve been carrying on a romantic relationship with Traiq?” Bertrand demanded.

“Of course it’s not true! This isn’t Riley’s fault!” Maxwell said, suddenly seeming nervous.

“Shush. I want to hear this from her.”

Riley hesitated with her answer. Having her assault blasted all over the news and being made to look like she wanted it was horrible and sickening, but the headline . . . had some truth to it.

“Bertrand, I’m NOT with Tariq. Those pictures were taken when he came into my room, assaulted me, and nearly raped me.”

“Oh my god, Riley!” Maxwell interrupted.

She held up a hand and gave Maxwell a thankful nod. “I will tell you the whole story, but you need to know that before the scandal broke, I was trying to tell Liam NOT to choose me tonight. We were interrupted by Olivia’s sudden departure. I don’t want to marry Liam . . . because I’m in love with someone else.” Riley hadn't quite realized it until she said it out loud, but holy shit, she was in love with Drake. Like, really truly, head over heels in love with him.

“What?!” Bertrand nearly shouted, shooting a look at Maxwell. “I don’t even know how to process that.”

“That does complicate things, but as long as you’re still here for House Beaumont. . .”

“We need you to be queen,” Bertrand finished.

“Here for House Beaumont? No. Maxwell, Bertrand, I’m going home. I am done with all of this. I was already on the fence about staying . . . Maxwell, you  _ know _ that. You also knew weeks ago that I was falling for someone else. I’m. Done.”

“Weeks?” Bertrand hissed at Maxwell.

Maxwell looked near tears and Riley had never seen that look on his face before. “You wouldn’t abandon us, would you?”

“Besides, if you’ve fallen for someone else at court, staying with us is your best way of seeing them again.”

That might be true. Riley thought about calling Drake and begging him to come to New York with her, but in her heart, she knew he would never abandon Liam.

“Not that it matters much anymore,” she said bitterly. “Someone had it out for me. The whole thing was a setup.”

“That’s why we’re here to take you back!” Maxwell said, back to his usual cheerful self.

“We’re going to fight this. No one smears the name of House Beaumont.”

“But . . . what’s the point? Isn’t it over? Prince Liam is engaged to . . .  _ Madeleine _ .”

“ _ King _ Liam chose Madeleine, but nothing’s set in stone. There’s a chance for you to be with him, as there’s a constitutional provision that states the king is able to change his selection in specific cases for the good of the nation. It hadn’t been invoked in a hundred years, but there is precedence. But the more important matter is that nefarious forces are plotting against you. We must resolve this scheme against you at once.”

“You’d do that for me?”

“ _ None _ of this is your fault, Lady Riley. If anyone is to blame, it’s the court for reacting as they did and even more so the true culprits behind it. House Beaumont supports you unequivocally, and we will stand by you to the bitter end.”

“And to the sweet end too.”

“Indeed. I’m optimistic that we will prevail. Though we do have our work cut out for us.”

“And what work is that, exactly?” Riley asked.

“We’re going to have to prepare you for the engagement tour.”

“The what now?”

“Ahem. The only unfortunate thing about clearing your name and figuring out what happened is that we have to follow the royal court around. And they’re currently gearing up for the King and Countess Madeleine’s royal engagement tour.”

“It’s going to be amazing! We’re going everywhere! We’ll be seeing the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the sea in Capri, the bamboo groves in China. It’s going to be a lot of nonstop parties and a ton of fun!” Riley smiled at Maxwell. It might be the first time she’d smiled since they slid down the bannister in the grand foyer at the palace. Trust Maxwell to make her happy even at her lowest. “I mean, if you ignore the whole Liam and Madeleine being together thing. But what do you say, Riley? Travel the world, clear your name, party with friends, and save Liam and the kingdom?”

Just then, the announcement came over the loudspeaker announcing final boarding for her flight. The guards looked like they were about to move toward her again.

“I’m sorry Maxwell, I’m done with this! I’m going to go back to New York and rebuild my life without all these games.”

“I know we’re asking a lot of you . . .” Maxwell said.

“But House Beaumont still needs you. And so does Cordonia.”

How could she get through to them that it was not her job to save their house or their country. Madeleine would be great as queen, and she  _ wanted _ it. Badly. Yes, it kinda sucked for Liam, but if she was being honest with herself, she didn’t care that much about that either. He  _ chose _ her. He could have picked Hana or Kiara or Penelope, but he didn’t.

“Besides, it wouldn’t be much fun if it all ended here,” Maxwell said quietly.

“No . . . it wouldn’t.” Riley was suddenly aware of the fact that she literally had no home to go back to in New York. She would get off the plane tomorrow and . . . what? She didn’t have enough money for a hotel or a down payment on an apartment. She had no close friends she could crash with. Her best option would probably be to call Daniel. Her name was also being splashed across every tabloid in the world. It might be hard to get a job until this all died down.

“We’ll set this right, Riley.”

“Yes. The perpetrators will receive their comeuppance.”

“That all sounds like . . . exactly what I need.”

“Splendid. Now then, shall we get to work?”

“I have conditions.”

“But, ah, of course, Lady Riley.”

“One. Any decisions about who I decide to be with or who I marry are mine. I will not be pressured into a life commitment I don’t want.”

“But . . .” Bertrand started, but Riley cut him off.

“Two. I need an allowance. I have completely drained my savings and have racked up thousands in debt in just a couple of months. I can’t keep doing this forever, especially since I have no way of making money.”

“Well, it’s rather difficult . . . as you know.”

“Figure it out Bertrand. At least your estate and duchy taxes produce some income while I literally have none. You have resources I don't. So  _ you _ think it’s difficult? I have absolutely nothing left Bertrand.”

“Well, I suppose there are a few . . . artifacts we could sell.”

Riley nodded firmly.

“Three. If at any point I’m done, you agree that I can leave with no further pressure.”

“We never meant to pressure you, Riley.”

“You did . . . but it’s fine Maxwell, I understand why and I can forgive that.”

Bertrand and Maxwell looked at each other. Finally Bertrand nodded.

“Yay!” Maxwell cheered. “It really is going to be fun, Riley. You’ll see.”

They walked together out of the airport. It was one in the morning. Riley checked her phone, but no text from Drake. Either he was still up dealing with the shitstorm at the palace . . . or he had already written her off. She wanted to text him and ask, but hesitated. Quickly, she sent a text to him and Hana together.

_ Riley: Going to Ramsford. _

Nothing came back in response. Maxwell noticed that she had dropped back and fell in step with her.

“You know,” she said, “I thought you’d given up on me. After what happened tonight, I didn’t think I’d ever hear from any of you again.”

Maxwell put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “We could never forget about you! We came here as soon as we could. Palace security took us to a separate holding room. It was looking dicey, but Bertrand really gave them the ole what-for!”

“I would’ve liked to see that,” Riley said, picturing Bertrand going toe to toe with the Royal Guard.

“Oh, it was his finest ‘how dare you’ and House Beaumont commands you to release us sort of speech.”

Bertrand preened a bit. “One does not treat the Duke of Ramsford with anything less than respect.”

“Oof. How did anyone survive the tongue-lashing?”

“They didn’t,” Bertrand answered with a genuine smile.

******************

Three days after the Coronation, Maxwell knocked on Riley’s door. As usual, she didn’t answer, but it also wasn’t locked. He entered slowly and sat in a chair near her bed.

Riley didn’t move.

“Riley? Um, I know you’re still upset about everything . . . but maybe you want to come down for breakfast. Bertrand actually convinced the house chef to come back for a few weeks, until we leave, so . . . it won’t be my cooking this time.”

She stayed staring at the ceiling. She knew she needed to talk to Maxwell, but it was just . . . so hard.

“Hey, remember Truth or Dare, when you and Drake and Hana ran around the ballroom in your underwear? That was fun. We could do that again. Er, or not. That came out much creepier than I meant it to.”

Riley willed herself to try and talk, but she just felt numb. She was glad Drake wasn’t here to see her so . . . broken. That’s what he said he didn’t want to happen to her and less than an hour after that conversation, she had been broken. The adrenaline that pushed her through the Coronation night and the conversation with the Beaumonts was gone the morning after and all that was left was the emptiness. Her friends hadn’t ever responded to her, hadn’t checked on her. She had no life to go back to in New York, but what she faced in Cordonia was an unknown conspirator with a lot of power and influence who wanted to ruin her. Her father had called her for the first time in two years and it had not been pleasant.

_ “Dad? Long time, no . . . talk.” _

_ “Where are you Riley?” _

_ “I’m actually . . . I’m actually abroad right now.” _

_ “Oh, so you’re still in that god-forsaken country in Europe, whoring around some Royal Palace then?” _

_ “I, what?!” _

_ “Care to explain why I woke up this morning to dozens of articles with my naked daughter plastered all over them?” _

_ “Dad, that is not what happened.” _

_ “I knew growing up with your mom would make you a bit of a free-spirit, but even then I didn’t expect you to drag my name through the mud.” _

_ “Well, good thing it’s my name and not yours being dragged through the mud, then.” _

_ “Riley!” _

_ “Well, it’s been super fun to be slut shamed by my own dad, particularly when the instance in question was a sexual assault and near-rape, not a ‘tryst’ or whatever shit the tabloids are saying, but I have to go now.” _

The only saving grace had been a text from her friend Daniel.

_ Daniel: Hey Riley! Are you ok? I know those pictures can’t be real. _

_ Riley: You’re the only one apparently. How did you know? _

_ Daniel: I recognize that guy from the bachelor party at the bar. There’s no way you’re sleeping with him. If it had been that other guy, the tall hot one, that I might believe. _

Riley laughed to herself. If Daniel knew anything about her, it was her precise taste in men.

_ Riley: Thanks Daniel. I’ll be fine. I’m staying in Cordonia though. _

_ Daniel: Well, let me know if you need anything. If you come home, you can crash at my place. My roommate has a weird cat though. . . _

“Riley . . . “ Maxwell was talking again. “You need to eat something.”

“I’ll get something later.”

“Hey! Words! I knew you still had them in you. But seriously, Riley. You have to eat.”

“Later.”

“Sounds great, I’ll come get you for lunch.”

Maxwell left, leaving Riley to retreat deeper into her thoughts. More than anything, she wanted Drake, but . . . apparently he didn’t want her anymore.

But that didn’t make sense. Drake knew what happened, he was there. He  _ saved _ her. He had fought the guards to get to her before she was thrown out of the palace. How could he not . . . at least check on her? Something was wrong. She hoped he wasn’t in any trouble. Fuck! If he’d done something stupid to try and protect her and got put in jail or something. It was all her fault. Riley dissolved into tears for about the hundredth time since the Coronation.

A couple hours later, Riley convinced herself to shower and get dressed. She hadn’t done that in days, and well, it was time. She texted Maxwell.

_ Riley: Still not hungry, but I want to talk. Can you eat lunch in my room? _

_ Maxwell: Yep! See you in a bit. _

After showering and getting dressed, Riley felt a little more normal. She opened her phone while she waited for Maxwell. She made the mistake of opening her social media. She had been tagged in dozens of articles about her. Some were articles about the social season, all now insulting the outfits they praised just weeks before. Others called her every synonym for slut or whore under the sun. Her favorite was  _ Cordonia’s American Ho Down _ . If it wasn’t about her, she probably would have laughed at the absurdity of the title. Aaaannnd that made her a horrible person.

What was worse than the articles were the comments from people she’d known. People like Maggie, her friend from high school saying, “I mean, we all knew Riley was a slut in high school, but a ROYAL slut, that’s new.”

She hadn’t heard Maxwell enter, but suddenly he was there taking her phone out of her hand.

“Nope, nope, nope. No good is coming of you looking at this. I’m confiscating it for your own good.”

“Maxwell! I need my phone.”

“No, you need to eat. You don’t need to read about . . .  _ The Beer Wench Who Would Be Queen _ . Oh come on! That’s not even a good headline!” Maxwell replied, looking at her screen, and clicking it off. He put it in his pocket, out of her reach.

“Well, I was a waitress, in a bar. I guess their description is accurate enough.”

“Only if it were 1575. Hey, good thing you didn’t wear that Renaissance costume to the Apple Festival. That picture would have gone along perfectly with that headline.”

“Well, thank god for that then.”

“I brought a bunch of food, but it’s all for me. So if you change your mind about eating, you’ll have to go eat with Bertrand and the forks.”

“Thanks Maxwell. I know you’re probably worried about me. I promise I’m fine.”

“Oh yeah, I can tell. The dark circles under your eyes and obsessively reading slanderous articles about yourself totally says you’re fine.”

“Watch it, or I won’t talk.”

Maxwell held up his hands in surrender. “I solemnly swear to keep all further opinions about your downward spiral to myself.”

“Thanks,” she replied flatly.

“Okay, but it’s a good thing you wanted to talk now. Bertrand stopped me from bringing the peacocks in. I thought they would cheer you up.”

“Wait . . . you really do have a flock of peacocks?”

“Oh yeah, that was real. I mean, peacocks are awesome. They’re like the fancy version of other birds. Turkeys are like, ‘Look at my dapper tail feathers,’ but peacock comes along and is like, ‘Feast your eyes on  _ these _ tail feathers’! But they’re . . . um, kinda mean sometimes, so bringing them inside probably wouldn’t be the best idea ever.”

“Well, thanks for sparing me.”

“So, um . . . where did you want to start?”

“I guess we can start with . . . what actually happened with Tariq.”

“Alright, only if you want to though.”

“I should have told you then. . . I just . . . I didn’t have much time to process everything. I’m sorry, I screwed everything up. Maybe if I’d told you, or Liam, this all would have turned out differently.”

“Hey, it’s not your fault. And I’m here for you no matter what. Because we really are besties. Wait, we’re still besties, right?”

“We’d better be. Otherwise I might as well go home right now.”

“We are home though. For as long as you want to claim it as home.”

“Maxwell! I . . . thank you!” Again Riley dissolved into tears. Maxwell moved to sit next to her on the bed. She cried on his shoulder for at least five minutes. Ugh, when did she become this weepy mess? What did she tell Liam at Forgotten Falls? That she would have gotten revenge and she wouldn’t just sit there crying? That memory stirred something in her. That’s right, she’s never been one to sit around crying all the time. She needed to get mad.

“Thanks Maxwell,” Riley said, wiping the tears. “Alright. I’m done crying about this. Time to figure out who did this to me and why.”

“Yeah!”

“So, let me start at the beginning . . . I guess. After the Country Jamboree, I was going to go to bed early because I knew Bertrand wanted us to get up at the crack of dawn to come setup for the Beaumont Bash.”

“Right.”

“So, I went back to my room and was getting changed, but I heard someone come in my room. I turned around and it was Tariq. The weird thing was that he kept talking about it like it was  _ his _ room. He kept saying he knew it would happen eventually, but that I was so forward to be undressing in his room. I mean, it was definitely my room, the same room I’d been using for weeks with all my stuff in it. I don’t know why he would think it was his.”

“I don’t know either. His room was two doors down from ours, in a totally different part of the house. Maybe he was drunk and got lost?”

“I don’t . . . think so. Anyway, I tried to explain that he must have misunderstood, but he grabbed me and started kissing me. I couldn’t make him stop. He’s actually stronger than he looks. He kept pushing me toward the bed, so I screamed. And . . . he still didn’t stop. He kept touching me . . . I . . .”

“Riley, I’m so sorry! I wish I’d known. How did you get away?”

“Drake came and pulled him off me.”

“Drake stopped him? How did he know?”

“He heard me scream.”

“Wow, that was . . . lucky.”

“Yeah, it could have been a lot worse. So anyway, he started yelling at Drake to get out of his room and how dare he come in his room without permission. When we finally convinced him that it was my room, he was shocked and embarrassed. He said he’d heard something - I assume that someone told him I was interested or something. Then he apologized and left.”

“So you think someone told him to go there?”

“I didn’t think much about it at the time, but now, yes, that’s what I think. Either he was in on the setup or someone just used him the way they did me to get the picture they wanted.”

“How did Tariq even get into your room though? Did the person who told him to go there give him a key? Is that why he thought it was his room?”

“Oh! That was the other weird thing. When Drake was leaving, he told me to lock the door . . . but the door didn’t have a lock.”

“What?!”

“I hadn’t ever thought much about it, I just figured the doors didn’t have locks, but Drake said the rest of the rooms DID have locks, and mine looked different, new, like it had just been replaced.”

“That’s . . .” Maxwell scrunched his face up, trying to put the pieces together.

Riley needed to skip through the rest of the evening and NOT talk about what happened with Drake.

“So, I went and slept in Hana’s room. I didn’t feel safe in that room anymore. That’s why I was there the next morning when you found me. And that's what happened. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about it sooner.”

“And that’s why you were so quiet on the ride back to Ramsford.”

“Mostly. It kinda got my head all twisted. The drive here also reminded me of visits to my dad in California. The rolling hills and grapevines just . . . looks a lot like the area where he lives.”

“And those are bad memories?”

“Some of them. . .”

“Oh. Does your dad even know you’re in Cordonia? You don’t talk about him much.”

“Oh he knows now. He called me yesterday, just to call me a whore and remind me that I’m a disgrace to his name.”

“Ouch. Well, if there’s anything I know about, it’s disapproving fathers.”

“Your dad was pretty hard on you guys, huh?”

“You have no idea. You think Bertrand’s bad, you should be glad my dad is . . . well, that he’s not here for this.”

“Well, as long as I’ve disgraced both the Beaumont and Brooks names, guess I don’t have much else to lose.”

“Don’t worry about that, I was a disgrace to the Beaumont name long before you were - and I actually  _ did _ most of what disgraced us.”

Riley sighed deeply. This was getting a little too close to what was really bothering her right now. “Maxwell . . . the thing with Tariq was a setup, a horrific and dangerous one at that, but the headlines aren’t exactly wrong, are they?”

Maxwell turned his face to the wall, not looking at her, he got very . . . shifty. “Riley, did you . . . I mean, you don’t have to tell me, but it helps if I know what we’re dealing with. I won’t judge you or anything and I’d never tell anyone else.”

Riley narrowed her eyes. “Did I what? What exactly are you asking me?”

“Did you sleep with Drake?”

“What?! No! Why would you even say that?” It was totally a fair question, but she didn't need Maxwell to know that just yet.

Maxwell looked visibly relieved. “Oh, are we still pretending I don’t know who “someone else” is? Okay, cool, cool. I’ll rephrase my question then.” Maxwell shook it off and went back to staring at the wall next to her as if rewinding the last minute. It made her giggle. 

“Riley, whatever do you mean the headlines aren’t wrong?” he asked dramatically.

Riley laughed, but quickly turned serious again. “I’m serious Maxwell. The whole point of getting me thrown out of court was that I’m ‘unfaithful’ to Liam. That part is true. I don’t want to be with Liam. My feelings for . . . someone else . . . aren’t the only reason, but I can’t say it’s not a factor.”

“But you said nothing happened . . . so you weren’t exactly unfaithful to Liam.”

“That’s not what I said. You asked a very specific question, which I answered very specifically.”

“So just to clarify, specifically . . . we are still pretending I don’t know, specifically, that you’re talking about Drake?”

“You’re really not going to let this go are you?”

“I will if you want me to, but since I already know, it might be easier to just talk about it. Oh, and I’m really really good at keeping secrets, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Really really good at secrets?”

Maxwell nodded enthusiastically. “You don’t even know! There are so many right now.”

“Maxwell! What secrets are you keeping?!”

“Riley, they’re  _ secrets _ . But trust me, if you knew, you’d be impressed. Hey, maybe that should be my thing! I’ll become a master secret keeper!”

“Fine! I guess it would just be easier to talk about it, since you already figured it out. Was it that obvious?”

“Kind of? Once you said you had feelings for someone other than Liam, it wasn’t hard to narrow down.”

“Oh, I . . . I guess that’s true. How long have you known then?”

“Truth or Dare was when I knew for sure.”

Riley thought for a moment. The truth or dare game was a little fuzzy in her memory. “The island question . . .?”

“Pretty sneaky, right? I already had my suspicions, but I figured it pretty much had to be one of the three of us and your answer would confirm it.”

“Alright, but if  _ you _ needed to survive on a deserted island, wouldn’t you pick Drake? Outdoor survival stuff is kind of his thing. . .”

“Well, if it was  _ my _ survival at stake, I’d have to pick not Drake because he’d probably throw me to the tiger he saved you from.”

Riley laughed again and it felt good to laugh with her friend.

“He likes you more than you give him credit for.”

“Oh, I know, but he’d still  _ threaten _ to throw me at the tiger. Or, he’d throw my phone in the ocean or something and without music, I might as well be dead.”

“Well, that’s probably true then.”

“So, yeah, _that_ plus general observation. You know, once I was paying attention, you’re really not subtle at all.”

“I guess not, Hana figured it out in Lythikos.”

“Lythikos?! Geez Riley, how long has this been going on?”

“Doesn’t matter now, does it. Anyway, I was subtle enough that Liam didn’t figure it out. He was telling me he loved me and practically proposing before . . . before he didn’t.”

“Hey, we’re going to figure this out. We’ll clear your name, and then you can figure out what you want to do about Liam and Drake.”

“There’s nothing to figure out. I’m not in love with Liam and he’s engaged to someone else anyway.”

“For the record, I’m still Team Liam.”

“You are? _Why_?”

“I’ve known both of them my whole life. I’ve seen girls come and go - for both of them. Don’t take this the wrong way, but . . . Drake doesn’t take relationships very seriously. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Too late for that. And it wasn’t because of Drake. At least, not . . .” Not what? She realized that she and Drake had never talked about previous relationships. He'd always been clear that it wasn't up for discussion. Now she wondered what he didn't want her to know.

“Yeah, I guess that’s true.”

“If I’m being honest, I’m really angry with Liam. Even if I was hoping he  _ wouldn’t _ choose me, literally trying to tell him  _ not _ to choose me, he let me get dragged out of the room and thrown out of the palace. He could have put a stop to everything until I had a chance to defend myself. He didn’t. He stood there and proposed to Madeline while I was being publicly humiliated. While  _ you _ were being dragged out of court. Who lets that happen to their friends?”

Maxwell was quiet for a moment. “I . . . I have to think there was a reason for all of that. And you know, that whatever you decide, I’m always Team Riley. I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like I wasn’t on your side.”

“Thanks Maxwell.”

“Yeah! House Beaumont forever! So are you ready for the Cheer Riley Up playlist now? Or still too soon?”

“Why is this the first I’m hearing about it?”

“By now you should have just assumed.”

***********

The next day, Bertrand showed up in Riley’s room. She still hadn’t left her room, or eaten more than a few bites, but she was feeling a little better after talking to Maxwell.

“Good morning, Lady Riley. We should talk about the next few weeks. Because of the plot against you, the press is currently having a field day smearing your name.”

“Great. I think I’ve seen the worst of it though.”

“Have you? Even the interview?”

Riley hadn’t seen anything with interviews. Just the photos, endless speculation, no real details about anything. Was Tariq trying to claim that night was consensual? 

“I did not. Interview with whom?”

“Someone named Josh who claims to be an ex-lover of yours. He had some scathing things to say about you.”

Anger surged through every bone in Riley’s body. How dare Josh take advantage of this situation for his own fifteen minutes of fame! How dare he have even one damned thing to say about her after what he did!

“Bertrand. What did  _ that _ fucking asshole have to say about me?”

“So, you do know him?”

“Know him!” Riley shrieked, no longer containing her anger. “Yes, I know the asshole who lied to me for eight months. Who cheated on me . . . multiple times! The man who convinced all of our friends that I was mentally unstable and to stay away from me, even though he was the one that threatened me! Yes, Bertrand I know him.”

“I see. Well, suffice it to say that his tell-all flips that around a bit and serves to corroborate the story that, ahem, that the media is currently circulating about you.”

“Great.”

“I’ll figure out how to best spin the media circus, but you will have to ensure your future behavior is impeccable.”

“Bertrand, I thought my past behavior was impeccable. I said all the right things, I made everyone like me, I spent my entire life savings and more on a wardrobe I’ll never use again. I did everything I was supposed to, and they still managed to destroy my reputation.”

“Yes, they did. Which is why you can’t give them any kind of excuse.”

“And that means . . .?”

“There’ll be no mistakes in your education. You’re learning as much about courtly behavior as you can before the tour kicks off. This time, you’ll be prepared for anything. Now, you said you have a degree in political science?”

“Yes. From Columbia.” They'd been over this multiple times at this point.

“Excellent. We will start with the political shifts in policy over the last seventy-five years, covering the last three Kings’ reigns, including current policies and deals we believe King Liam would like to see implemented. Maxwell will make sure you know all the formal dances. We’ll also conduct daily quizzes on the reigning monarchs of Cordonia’s allies and neighbors.”

“I see.”

“Once we are done with that, we will move on to fine dining and wine tasting.”

“I can do that.”

“Can you? I understand  _ Lady Hana _ can identify almost any wine in the world, often down to the particular year.”

“Then no, I don’t think I can compare to Hana in, well anything much, honestly.”

“Well, you will at least be able to speak intelligently about what you’re drinking. I know this seems like a lot, but what we’ve had to teach you this summer and in the next few weeks is usually taught to Cordonian nobles over a lifetime.”

“I understand Bertand. I’m not complaining. I’ll do what you ask. I just want to remind you that I’m not trying to become queen this time.”

Bertrand hesitated. “Lady Riley . . . if we clear your name, then -”

“You promised those choices would be mine.”

“Of course, but I’m certain King Liam would break his engagement with Countess Madeleine if the circumstances surrounding your slander were revealed publicly.”

Riley sighed. It was no use. As usual, Bertrand would never listen.

**********************

A few days later, after a ballroom dancing lesson that went on for four hours, Riley was back in her room. She hoped she never had to do the Quickstep again. She reached for her phone. Maxwell had finally given it back to her. It was Hana’s birthday . . . but she hadn’t heard a word from her since she had been dragged out of the palace. Maybe her parents didn’t want her associating with Riley anymore, after the scandal. Although they were quick to push her to form a friendship with Riley if it meant getting closer to Liam or to the future queen.

Riley scrolled through and found her text conversation with Hana.

_ Riley: Happy Birthday Hana! I miss you! _

There was no response, but Riley no longer expected one. She went back to her conversation with Drake. There had been nothing since the Coronation. Riley missed them both desperately. She had almost started crying again when Maxwell popped in.

“Hey Riley!”

“Hi Maxwell. So, did Bertrand send you for more dancing lessons?”

“Nope. But we’ve added morning runs to your daily training.”

“Um, why? I told you I’m bad at running.”

“Aaaaaaaaaand that’s why you need to join me?”

“So, ladies cast out of court have to run a 5k to get back in?”

“No, but that’d be awesome!”

“Seriously though, why are we jogging laps around the estate?”

“You know, it’s like that thing they do in movies whenever they have to get ready for something.”

“Maxwell!”

“Okay, honestly, I just want the company.”

“Alright, Maxwell, I’ll join you. Er, Bertrand isn’t joining us, is he?”

Maxwell started laughing so hard he was crying. “Bertrand? Running? That’s hilarious.”

“Oh! I was also going to tell you that Bertrand and I have to go to the capital for two days next week. And . . .”

“I’m not exactly welcome.”

“Not yet. That’s part of why we’re going. It’s mostly a formality, but yeah. Will you be ok by yourself?”

“Yes Maxwell.”

“I’m going to tell Lorenzo to stay and watch you eat when he brings your food and not leave you alone until you do.”

“Hey! I’ve been eating.”

“Uh huh. Well tomorrow you have to eat because we’re doing fancy food tastings.”

“So . . . more Jewels of the Sea?”

“Bertrand said no.” Maxwell looked genuinely disappointed.

“Oh, well, I think I’ve seen enough of those for a lifetime anyway.”

"We'll be doing wine tasting too! With super expensive, fancy wines from the cellar. The bottles I'm not even allowed to touch."

"So . . . I can get drunk on thousands of dollars of wine? Sign me up."

"You know you're supposed to spit it out after tasting, right?"

"Sounds like such a waste . . . like it's overpriced mouthwash."

"Heh. I guess so."

"That all sounds fine Maxwell. I actually am doing a lot better."

“Great! See you in the morning for our run!”

***************

Riley had been at Ramsford for almost three weeks and tomorrow they would be leaving for Fydelia, for the kick-off of the engagement tour. The whole prospect made Riley nauseous. Facing all the people at court, knowing they’d be gossiping about her behind her back, watching Liam with Madeleine, seeing Drake again. The whole day had been spent identifying forks and spoons and Riley’s head was spinning. She already knew to start on the outside and work her way in, why did she need to know the names of all thirty-five of them?

Riley collapsed on the stairs, not even bothering to walk up to her room. Maxwell, passing by, saw her and sat beside her. Thank god for Maxwell! If it weren’t for him, she would have lost her mind already.

“Everything okay?”

“If I have to look at another fork, I’m going to throw it into the wall. Who knew there’d be so many kinds?”

“Bertrand. He knows all the forks. But cheer up. Lessons are over for now. We’ll be traveling to Madeleine’s estate tomorrow in Fydelia for the welcome party, and that’s when things will really start happening.”

“Never turn down a chance for a party, do you?”

“Never.”

“Finally. I’m ready to look into the blackmail note and get to the bottom of everything. I really want to know who set me up. When I get proof of who did this . . .” Riley's eyes narrowed and her fists clenched hard, turning her knuckles white.

“You’re kind of scary when you’re mad.”

“Good. They should be scared.” Riley sighed and deflated a little. If she didn’t stay mad, she cried, and she was very tired of crying. “I’m just ready to get some answers.”

Maxwell put his arm around her shoulder, “Hey, we’ll figure it all out. We’re going to fight back, remember? It’ll be easier when we’re on the engagement tour with all the major players at court and can see how people act around you.”

“Yeah . . . I guess that’s not all that’s bothering me.”

“What else is on your mind?”

“These past few weeks I haven’t heard from anyone outside House Beaumont.”

Maxwell started to look a little cagey. She knew he must have talked to Liam and probably Drake when he was at the capital last week.

Maxwell hadn’t said anything, so Riley continued. “I thought I’d at least have talked with Drake. It bothers me. Have you talked to him at all?”

Now Maxwell was bouncing around a little. He must be really nervous to talk to her about this. “Drake usually keeps to himself. Before this last social season, it wasn’t unusual for me not to hear from him for months at a time.”

Riley stared at her phone, as if looking at it would suddenly make a text appear. “It’s just . . . I thought . . . he used to text me goodnight every night, even when he was gone. And now, nothing.”

“ _ Drake _ did that?”

“Yeah,” Riley said sadly as she scrolled through their previous messages. Maxwell peered over her shoulder for a second and raised his eyebrows all the way into his hairline.

“I didn’t know . . .” Maxwell said in an almost whisper.

“You still didn’t answer my question Maxwell. Have you heard from him?”

“Uh, yeah. We talked when Bertrand and I went to the palace. And forget what I said a few weeks ago about Drake. I think he . . . I think he actually cares about you.”

“What about Hana?”

“Not a word,” he said sadly.

“Oh, well, it’s not just me then.”

Bertrand appeared at the top of the stairs just then, “It’s for the best, really. You shouldn't be talking with anyone at court.” Oh! Fuck! How much of that conversation had he heard? It was one thing for Maxwell to know about her feelings for Drake, but she didn’t trust Bertrand with that information just yet.

“But why?”

“Riley, someone wanted you to fail.”

“And you think it might be my friends?”

“No, but you’d better be extra careful. Anything you say, text, or do may be used against you. Conversations are recorded. Texts are intercepted. If it's written or spoken over a phone line, we must assume that it’ll eventually fall into the wrong hands. Ergo, we must keep any electronic communications to a minimum. King Liam and I spoke about this and he agreed completely.”

“So I shouldn’t talk to my friends?” What was the point of being here then?

“Actually, they’ll probably be very helpful to us. But if you do talk to them, do it all in person. You’ll get your chance tomorrow. I’d suggest you get some rest. We’re getting up early tomorrow and we have a long journey ahead of us.”


	26. Meanwhile, Back at the Palace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Riley in exile and Liam engaged to Madeleine, Drake tries to navigate changes in the wake of the Coronation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeek! This chapter is a little scary to publish because it is 100% my own creation (other than characters obviously) and doesn't cover anything from canon. Hopefully it's interesting enough!

Drake woke up the day after the Coronation a bit disoriented. He saw the discarded suit, thrown over a chair. Broken glass from where he had thrown the empty whiskey bottle at the wall. As the memories of last night’s nightmare slowly came into his consciousness, he wished he had another empty bottle to throw.

Riley was gone and he didn’t know when and if he would ever see her again. Liam said the guards were taking her to the airport, but seemed to think the Beaumonts would go after her. What if they didn’t find her? They were being held as well. Maybe he could call Maxwell and find out what happened. . . but Liam said to not talk to any of them. Drake hadn’t felt this frustrated or helpless since he started looking for Savannah last year. He swore he wouldn’t let something like that happen again, but he had failed Riley just as he had failed his sister.

That’s it. He was officially done with the Cordonian court. He would tell Liam today. Drake carefully cleaned up the glass from the floor and mentally started planning his next move. It wasn’t like he had a lot of places to go. He could go to New York, if Riley went there, and try to find her. But how? She didn’t have any family and Liam seemed to think it was dangerous for him to even try and reach out to her. He could go to Ramsford, and get Maxwell’s help. But if Riley was there, that could put her in more danger. He could go to Texas . . .which meant dealing with his mom. All he knew is that he couldn’t stay here one more day.

Drake had just about resolved to call his mom and make arrangements to fly out to Texas when he realized he would be late for breakfast. He hadn’t even checked his phone. He grabbed it to find an unread message from Riley, sent to both him and Hana.

_ Riley: Going to Ramsford. _

His fingers itched to respond, but he remembered Liam’s warnings. Whoever set Riley up went to a lot of trouble and did not mind putting her in harm’s way. With a sickening feeling in his stomach Drake deleted the message and deleted her contact information. It was too tempting to send her something to make sure she knew that he was still looking out for her. At least he knew where she was and that she was safe. Now he just had to fight the urge to get in his truck and go get her.

Instead, he followed his normal path to the parlor for breakfast. Although he had followed this path from his room to the parlor countless times to meet up with Liam, the memory that drove him there now was walking here with Riley after she had showed up at his door with a bottle of whiskey only three days after meeting him. Did he know back then that he had just met the most perfect woman in the world? That late night talks over whiskey would become a habit? That in just a few weeks she would mean everything to him?

Drake shook the memory and tried to focus on what he would say to Liam, only to be met at the door by Bastien.

“Sorry Drake, the King will be taking his morning meals with the royal family from now on.”

It took a moment for Drake to adjust his thinking and realize that Bastien was talking about Liam, not Constantine. He glared at Bastien, still upset about how he had dragged Riley from the ballroom last night and ordered the others to hold him back.

“I know you’re still upset about last night, but there’s nothing to be done about it now. And in case you were wondering, Hektor’s nose is broken,” Bastien continued not even acknowledging Drake’s glare.

Drake knew he should probably feel bad about that, but he struggled to care. If the guard had just stayed out of his way, he’d be fine today.

“I already knew that. I felt it break when I punched him,” Drake growled at Bastien.

“No need to be so surly with me, son.” 

“I’m not your son!” Drake shouted.

“Please Drake, you’ll disturb their breakfast. I’ll tell His Majesty that you were here. Perhaps he will have an opening in his schedule later today.”

“I . . . I’m sorry. I’m not angry with you.”

A look crossed Bastien’s face that gave Drake pause, but it was gone in an instant.

With nothing else to say or do, Drake made his way downstairs to the kitchen. The palace chef gave Drake an appraising glance as he pulled a few ingredients from one of the large fridges. The staff wouldn’t eat until after all the nobles had been served. But Drake wasn’t staff. 

“Huh. Not eating with royalty now, are we  _ Mr. _ Walker?” Drake didn’t miss the snide tone. Drake had always been allowed to treat the kitchen as his own and frequently restocked ingredients he had used up. Apparently being the King’s best friend was different than being the Prince’s best friend. Or maybe they all assumed that since Drake was no longer having breakfast with Liam, he was being . . . cast out? Another look from one of the kitchen staff. Yeah, it was past time to move on. But now he knew even less where he should go than he did an hour ago.

Drake ignored the chef and made himself a simple breakfast. He got out of the way as quickly as he could. He made his way back to his room and took stock of his belongings. He didn’t have much. He could probably be packed in an hour. He sent a text to Liam.

_ Drake: we need to talk _

An hour later, the reply came.

_ Liam: We do. I only have a small opening in my schedule at 4. The tree. _

Liam was being extra cautious in his texts. He must still be worried that they were being monitored. Suddenly Drake was nostalgic for the days, like yesterday, when his biggest problem was being in love with the same woman as his best friend. It was amazing how empty his life seemed without Riley, Maxwell, and Hana around. It had only been a few months, but somehow they had come to fill all his time.

Drake wandered aimlessly, not wanting to stay in his room brooding for too long. He needed something to keep himself busy. Before long, he found himself in the stables. A stablehand named Thomas was the only person there.

“Morning Drake! Do you want me to get Lone Star ready for you?”

“No thanks, I’ll take care of him myself.”

Soon, he lost himself in brushing Lone Star and checking the condition of his hooves. When Lone Star was ready to ride, Drake led him out of the stall, pausing to give Marabelle an apple.

“Don’t worry Marabelle, our girl will be back soon. And I’ll take care of you until then.” Lone Star huffed at the attention Drake was paying the other horse.

“Okay, okay. Let’s get as far away from here as we can. What d’ya say?”

Drake avoided the riding trails that most of the nobles took, and opted to follow a stream down to a small lake east of the palace. He let Lone Star rest while he tried to figure out what to say to Liam.

****************

Drake didn’t get back to the palace until just before it was time to meet Liam in the center of the hedge maze. He was pretty sure no one else knew what tree Liam would be referring to, but he still checked carefully as he made his way to the center. No one was there. A few minutes later, Liam appeared.

“Good. I’m glad you understood the message.”

Drake snorted. “What other tree have we spent hours hiding from the court in?”

Liam smiled. “Only this one. So, since I cannot actually ask anyone, have you heard from the Beaumonts?”

“No. But Riley sent Hana and I a text at one in the morning. She went to Ramsford.”

“That’s . . . good. I hope you didn’t reply.”

“No Liam, I heard everything you said last night and I’m not going to do anything that would put her in danger.”

“I know you wouldn’t. I just . . . I don’t know who to trust anymore.”

“That’s easy. No one. If you don’t trust anyone, it simplifies things.”

“As King I can’t be everywhere at once, so I’m going to have to trust a few people.”

“So, is there a plan somewhere in all this? We need to do something.  _ I _ need to do something.”

“As much as there can be one. Riley stays in Ramsford and returns for the Engagement Tour. In the meantime, we all look into who did this to her and who leaked it to the press. Hopefully we find the person responsible, they make a statement retracting the story, and I use that as the justification for breaking my engagement to Madeleine.”

“And Madeleine is going to welcome Riley back with open arms?”

A small smile played on Liam’s lips. “It was actually her suggestion.”

“I don’t like that. That one doesn’t do anything without an ulterior motive.”

“Yes, I’m aware. However, in this case, I don’t think it’s to hurt Riley.”

“You don’t suspect her when she benefitted the most?”

“Oh, she definitely could have played a role in all of this, but based on a few conversations we’ve had, I do not believe she’s the mastermind. She had her own reasons for inviting Riley back.”

“Why do  _ you _ want to bring Riley back, Liam? You know it’s going to be hell on her.”

Liam blushed. Ah. Even if Liam was his best friend and not like most of the nobles at court, he was still part of their world and customs, “Madeleine . . . she doesn’t mind if I still pursue Riley.”

“Okay, but maybe first, just try to be her friend. She’s not in a suitor competition anymore and it’s going to be hard enough coming back and trying to clear her name.”

“Of course! I just want her to know that I’m here for her.”

“If you say so.” Drake ran a hand through his hair and looked away.

“What’s on your mind, Drake?”

“So . . . you’ll be having breakfast with your family now?”

“And Madeleine.”

“Mmmmhmmmm. So, I can take that off my to-do list then?”

“I didn’t realize our breakfasts were an obligation.”

“Hell, Liam it’s not that. It’s just . . . that list is getting awfully small. I don’t belong here anymore.”

“Of course you do -”

“No Liam, I do not. I don’t belong with the nobles, and I’m not a part of the staff. I have no  _ place _ here. There isn’t even an appropriate time for me to take a meal, or anyone to make it, or a place to make it myself.”

“I don’t understand. Accommodations have always been made for you. It’s never been a problem.”

“Well, apparently now it is.”

“I can speak with the kitchen staff . . .”

“It’s not just that. The meals are a symptom of a bigger problem, the same problem I’ve been bringing up all summer. Your life is changing. You’re the King. You’ll be getting married this year and likely starting a family soon after, whether it’s Madeleine or . . . someone else. I can’t even consider things like that because as long as I’m at the palace, my life is on hold. I want to be there for you Liam, I really do, it just can’t be like it used to be anymore. Plus, I don’t think your fiancée is overly fond of me.”

Liam was quiet. Drake knew that none of that was what his friend wanted to hear. Over the past seven years, Drake had never mentioned the sacrifices he had made in his own life to be there for Liam. Until that summer, they hadn’t felt much like sacrifices. Sure, it had been hard to leave his college life and reacclimate to court, but then he had had a purpose. Look out for Liam. Look out for Savannah.

Liam finally spoke. “I didn’t even know you wanted those things Drake. You’ve never said . . .”

“Maybe not tomorrow or anything, but eventually, yeah . . .”

Drake had surprised even himself with that. It had started after the Regatta and was like any of the many dreams he’d had of being with Riley. They were walking down the beach together, talking and teasing each other the way they did in real life, then he bent down and picked up a little girl maybe three or four years old, one who looked just like Riley with long dark hair, but instead of her blue eyes, it was his own brown ones looking back. A little girl. Their little girl. He put her on his shoulders and took Riley’s hand as they continued to walk down the beach. He’d felt happy and content. Family. Home. The last time he had felt anything even remotely close had been the Walker Christmas in 2004, just six weeks before his dad died. Half a lifetime ago. 

Waking up from that dream had been horrible. The emptiness he was used to felt deeper and more profound than ever. It had become a recurring dream, although the setting changed, often to wherever they were travelling to. He simultaneously longed for and dreaded the dream, wanting to stay there, wanting it to be real, and then being crushed by despair when he woke from it.

When Riley had asked him on his birthday if she was like family now, images from this dream immediately surfaced. What would have happened if he’d told her back then?

“Look Liam, I think I just need a little time away from all this to figure out what I want to do next. So, I’m . . . I’m just going to take a trip, I think.”

“Camping?”

“Actually, I was thinking Texas.” Registering Liam’s concerned frown, he continued. “I can come back for the tour and the wedding and all that, just like you asked, but until then, I thought maybe I should reconnect with my mom. It will give me some space.”

“Of course, if that’s what you want. Just . . .,” Liam’s shoulders slumped, “can you wait until after the engagement party.? I know it sounds silly, but I could really use the support to get through that.”

“I thought the party was at the beginning of the tour.”

“Duchess Adelaide will be hosting an engagement party at the Fydelian estate at the beginning of the tour, but Regina is hosting one here next week.”

“Next week . . . so if I left after that, I’d still have a week or so before the tour.”

“More or less.”

“Liam . . . I can’t promise I’ll stay after your wedding.”

Liam’s face was stoic, unreadable and hard. Drake was used to that look, it just wasn’t usually directed at him. Drake rubbed the back of his neck. “Look man, I can’t pretend and play nice with these people anymore. Not after what they did to her.”

Liam let out a mirthless laugh. “When have you ever pretended and played nice?”

“Touché. You know what I mean though. I tolerate them. I don’t pick fights with anyone other than Olivia. Even after everything that happened when my dad died and when my mom left . . . and whatever happened to hurt Savannah. This is just . . . dammit Liam, I told you something like this would happen to her! I can’t be part of it anymore.”

Liam was quiet. He twisted the signet ring on his finger and looked up to the sky.

“We should get back, I have a meeting in three minutes.”

“They’re already keeping you busy.”

“Between planning the engagement tour, the wedding, and the transition of power, this might be the busiest month of my entire reign.”

Madeleine stood at the door to Liam’s study when they arrived inside. Drake hadn’t seen her since Liam proposed last night, but she still had a smug smile and he imagined she must have had the same look on her face ever since.

“Liam, darling, you’re late. The photographer is here.”

“Of course. My apologies Drake.”

“No, it’s no problem. I know you’re busy.” Madeleine scowled in Drake’s direction and sniffed as she turned on her heel and latched herself to Liam’s arm.

Drake turned to make his way toward his room. He opened his phone to start searching for flights to the US, but soon became distracted by the torrent of articles about Riley. His hands and stomach clenched. He wanted to call and check on her. Maybe he could call Maxwell. But he knew the real phone call he needed to make . . . it was almost 8 am in Texas.

*************

Five days after the coronation, Drake had to get out of the palace. Madeleine was already acting like she owned the place and there was no time to talk to Liam. There had been more cutting remarks from the staff in passing, though he wasn’t sure why. He had never asked anything of them. He kept his quarters clean on his own and stayed out of the way of the kitchen staff as much as possible. Perhaps they had resented him all along, the commoner who was friends with the Prince, and only now felt emboldened to say something. Drake wondered what had changed and the only thing he could think had changed was Madeleine.

He spent most of his days in the stables with the horses, considering there was literally nothing he could do to help the investigation into what went wrong on Coronation night. He’d asked Bastien what he knew about it once, but Bastien either didn’t know much or wouldn’t tell him. The only information he gave Drake was that he’d received information about the article less than an hour before the ball, allowing him enough time to negotiate enough to keep Drake’s part out of it.

He had made arrangements to fly out to Texas the day after the engagement party and back for the second day in Fydelia. Talking to his mom while he was still a little emotionally raw from the events of the last week had been challenging, but at least it was done, and she seemed happy he was coming out.

That’s how Drake found himself back in the bar he had taken Riley to, what seemed like a lifetime ago, even though it had been less than two months. He was already three drinks in when Antonio came up next to him.

“Drake Walker! Haven’t seen you in here since you brought that American girl with you.”

“Guess it’s been awhile.”

“Shame about her. Kinda thought she’d make good queen, at least a good looking one. Makes sense why she was here with you now, right? Reckon there were others? Maybe I’ll look for a job up at the palace if it’s like that.”

Drake grabbed the man’s shirt and pulled him close, “Don’t talk about her that way. You don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t want to make a scene and I’d rather not get thrown out, but another word like that -”

“Okay, okay! Don’t mind me, I was just runnin’ my mouth. I won’t say another word.”

“See that you don’t.” Drake let him go and didn’t give him another glance. He couldn’t personally hunt down every person saying something less than flattering about Riley, but he wasn’t going to listen to it either. 

Two drinks later a woman took a seat next to him. In normal circumstances, Drake would have been intrigued. She was pretty enough. Six months ago he would have tried to guess her drink and buy it for her. Now, every woman he saw was instantly compared to Riley and none could even close.

It didn’t stop her from trying though. “Looks like you’ve got something on your mind,” the mystery woman started.

“Seems like a reasonable assumption,” Drake answered, throwing back another whiskey.

“Slow down there cowboy, that kind of whiskey is made to be enjoyed.” He turned to actually look at her. Yeah . . . a few months ago, he deeeeeeefinitely would have been interested. 

“Heh, it sure is, but sometimes that doesn’t work fast enough.”

The woman turned toward him and tucked a lock of dark hair behind her ear. “Need to talk about it?”

“Yep, but can’t talk to the person I actually want to talk to, so the bottom of a bottle of whiskey will have to do.”

“Doesn’t have to be like that. I’m a pretty good listener,” she said, putting a hand on his. Drake stared at her hand for a second and back at the woman. On the one hand, he could use a distraction from everything. On the other, he was drunk and missing Riley and a pretty girl in a bar wasn’t going to fill the emptiness.

“Look, it’s nothing personal, believe me, but I’m really not in the mood,” he said, pulling his hand away.

The woman looked surprised. It was no wonder, really. She probably didn’t get rejected very often. “Well, if you change your mind . . .” She passed a napkin with a phone number written on it in his direction and walked away.

The bartender just laughed and looked at Drake, “You’re an idiot.”

“Nah, there’s only one woman for me and it’s not her. But, here. . . you call her.” Drake shoved the napkin in the bartender’s direction and stumbled out into the night.

*****************************************

Drake woke up to knocking on his door. He had been up late again, unable to sleep and the sleep he did get was fitful and full of nightmares. The pounding on his door continued. 

“I’m coming,” he shouted at the door as he pulled on pants and a t-shirt. He opened the door to find Maxwell with a huge grin on his face.

“Morning Drake! Eeesh! You look awful! Everything alright?”

“Maxwell.” He registered through bleary eyes.

“In the flesh.”

“Is Riley here? Did you bring her back?”

Maxwell’s smile slipped slightly, but only briefly. “No. She’s still at Ramsford, but she’ll be back when we go to Fydelia. Or at least I think that’s the plan.”

“Give me a minute,” Drake said, leaving the door open for Maxwell. He fished a clean denim shirt from the drawer and threw it on, brushed his teeth and ran a comb through his hair. Shower and shave would have to wait. He put on his shoes in a hurry and pulled Maxwell into the hallway before shutting the door behind him.

“Let’s go,” he said. He led Maxwell outside to his truck. Maxwell hesitated.

“Uh, Drake . . . where are we going?”

“I need coffee. And you’re going to tell me everything.”

“Pretty sure the palace has coffee.” Drake shot him a look. “Maybe I should just text Bertrand . . .”

“Isn’t he dealing with some sort of House Beaumont business with Liam?”

“Yes. I think it’s an official apology on behalf of the crown for our treatment at the Coronation along with an invitation back to court.”

“Great, Bertrand can do all the important Duke stuff and you can tell me what’s going on with Brooks. But you won’t mention her by name. Anywhere.”

“Great, I already have a playlist ready.”

“No.”

“One song?”

“No.”

“Your loss.”

After a short drive, and a stop for coffee, Drake parked in a deserted lot near the beach. They walked a short distance away and found a spot to sit. Drake checked to make sure no one else was nearby.

“Alright Maxwell, start talking.”

“What do you want to know.”

“I guess you can start with if she’s okay.”

Maxwell looked down at his hands and his feet got shifty. “Yeah, she’s fine now.”

“Now? So, she wasn’t fine?”

“Sort of. I mean we got her to stay, which was hard. She really wanted to get on that plane to New York. And even after we convinced her to stay, she had a bunch of conditions that Bertrand wasn’t too happy about.”

“Conditions?”

“Yeah, not having to pay for her fancy clothes, not being pressured into a marriage she doesn’t want, being allowed to leave if she wants.”

Drake snorted. “So, Bertrand was upset that she wanted to be treated like she’s a person capable of making her own choices and not his show pony?”

Maxwell squirmed uncomfortably. “It’s not like that.”

“Fine. You convinced her not to go back, she had conditions. That doesn’t sound bad.”

Maxwell looked off into the distance. “It was pretty bad for awhile. I get that she was upset, but she didn’t eat for days. She wouldn’t talk to either of us and just stayed in her room. I was pretty scared to be honest. I wasn’t sure if we’d made the right decision convincing her to stay.”

“Jesus! Why didn’t you call me? I would have . . . ” He would have done nothing. Drake’s heart ached. Maxwell’s description sounded just like when Liam was depressed after the assasination attempt that pulled him back to Cordonia. It was killing him to know she was going through all of that and he couldn’t be there for her. She probably thought he didn’t even care about her since he hadn’t called or texted or anything since that night. He huffed in frustration. “Go on.”

“I know it sounds bad, but she’s doing better now. Yeah. I mean, sometimes she gets angry about the whole thing and, it's honestly kind of scary. I think that's what's keeping her together though. She’s been talking to us and doing all the lessons Bertrand has for her and stuff, but -”

“Lessons? Bertrand is still trying to make her queen isn’t he?”

Maxwell looked down sheepishly. “Well, yes. That is still the plan.”

Drake’s eyes went wide. “After all that she’s been through, does she even want to be queen anymore?”

Maxwell refused to look at Drake. “Actually, no, I don’t think she wants that. I don’t think she’s ever wanted that.”

“But you think you and your brother know best?”

“Drake, we need her to be queen - to save House Beaumont. There are things you don’t know.”

“I know she isn’t a pawn in your fucking noble chess game.”

“But Liam loves her! I know he does! I’m sure he was going to propose to her before this whole Tariq story came out.”

Drake sighed. That was all true. “Yeah, he was. Did she tell you what really happened with Tariq?”

“Yes,” Maxwell said quietly. “I wish I’d known about it at the time. I would have never . . .”

“What? Forced her to clean the estate the next day and make a thousand appetizers? Made her host a giant party?”

“I don’t know. I guess we couldn’t have done anything differently. I knew she was sort of off that day we went back home. I’m glad you were there for her.”

“Me too. And Hana.”

“And Hana,” Maxwell agreed.

Silence fell between them for a few minutes. Every instinct Drake had was telling him to drive to Ramsford right then and get Riley out of there and away from all the games nobles play. Those instincts were at war with the warnings that she was in very real danger until they uncovered who orchestrated the plot against her and cleared her name. They wouldn’t be safe anywhere in Cordonia and thanks to the international press picking up the story, it would be hard for her to hide anywhere. It was just like he had told her the night of the Beaumont Bash.

Maxwell spoke again, “So will you help us figure out who was behind the set-up?”

Drake was surprised Maxwell even asked. “Of course I’m helping. Whatever she needs.”

Maxwell gave Drake a hard look. It was an expression Drake wasn’t used to seeing on his friend’s face. “That was easier than I thought it would be.”

“You thought . . . you’d have to convince me?”

“You’re not exactly known for helping people out of the goodness of your heart. . . except for Liam, of course.”

“I can take back the offer.”

Maxwell grinned his usual lackadaisical smile. “Oh, well, I don’t mean to put you out or anything. I’m sure we’ll be fine with just me and Riley and Bertrand on the case.”

Drake grimaced. He knew this was one of Maxwell’s tricks to force him to admit things he didn’t want to admit. “I  _ said _ I’m helping Maxwell.”

Maxwell started tapping his feet a bit and fidgeting with his phone.

“I appreciate the help Drake. Seriously. And I know  _ Riley _ appreciates it. It’s just . . .”

Drake rubbed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Why couldn’t Maxwell just come out and say what he was thinking? “What Maxwell?”

“Through all of this, Riley’s become kind of like my sister. Almost like a long lost twin or something.”

Drake laughed.

“What?” Maxwell asked.

“It’s just something she said a long time ago, that you guys could almost be twins. Because your birthdays were so close together.”

“Did you know we were born eleven days apart?! Seriously, we’re almost twins.”

“Riiiight. Twins born eleven days and four thousand miles apart. . . to totally different families.”

“Exactly! See you get it! Anyway, Riley’s like my sister, especially since she’s an honorary Beaumont. So, yeah, I don’t want to see her get hurt.” Maxwell gave Drake a look that Drake suspected was supposed to be intimidating.

Uh uh. Not playing Maxwell.

“Well, it’s a little late for that. This whole thing hurt her! I mean, fuck, Maxwell, she came here to take part in a completely messed up competition to marry someone she’d just met, and then was pressured to spend all her money on clothes and stuff so she could win the competition. Then she was sexually assaulted, only to have the press spin it into her being the palace slut and humiliated in front of the entire country. So, it’s a little late to suddenly worry about her getting hurt. In fact,  _ you _ caused some of this Maxwell.”

Drake was really worked up now. He wanted to take off and make Maxwell walk back to the palace, but that wouldn’t solve anybody’s problem right now.

“You’re right. It’s my fault this happened to her. I’m trying to fix it Drake.”

“How? By continuing to pressure her into becoming queen when she told you she doesn’t want to?”

Maxwell looked helpless now. “I didn’t know this all mattered so much to you.”

“Well, it does. I don’t know why, or how, or when it all started to matter, but now it does. I don’t want to lose her like I lost Savannah.”

Maxwell tensed. “We’re not going to let that happen.”

“No,” Drake said, finally settling down a bit. “We’re not.”

“In the meantime, Bertrand said it’s best not to have any kind of electronic contact with you and Liam and Hana. So . . . sorry I couldn’t text or call or email to let you know what happened.”

“Liam said pretty much the same thing. We can only talk in person.”

Maxwell’s phone started blasting out an obnoxious pop song.

“Ooops, it’s Bertrand. We should get back to the palace.”

*******************************

Drake was surviving the royal engagement party, hosted by Regina. He wasn’t sure why Liam wanted him there since all he was doing was sitting in the back in his usual corner, sipping on whiskey and watching Liam speak to a seemingly endless line of nobles and visiting foreign royals paying their respects. Madeleine looked delighted with the whole thing. She would have even been convincing if Drake hadn’t seen her put on the same dog and pony show during her engagement to Leo last year. The difference was that Leo had rarely given her the time of day or even shown up to events like this, whereas Liam was ever dutiful and would stand and smile and pretend to be thrilled with their engagement.

It was like a thousand other events he’d attended over the years, but so . . . boring. He’d gotten used to having Riley and Hana making sure he didn’t spend too much time skulking in corners, or Riley forcing him onto the dance floor, or an opportunity to save Liam from an exceptionally dull conversation, or hell, even Olivia to trade jabs with. Now it was just him and a glass of whiskey.

Maxwell and Bertrand were still there, but Maxwell was apparently on a short leash that night and never left Bertrand’s side. Drake figured that was probably for the best. He’d had the conversation he needed to have with Maxwell and talking about anything further was likely to get complicated. He already got the impression that Maxwell suspected there was more between Riley and Drake than just friendship and since he didn’t even know himself where they stood, no good could come of that conversation.

He saw Bastien nod at him. With a heavy sigh and some effort, he made himself cross the room to where Bastien was positioned. Drake was still a bit angry with Bastien for everything that had happened at the Coronation, but he also understood, at least intellectually, that Bastien had just been doing his job.

“Drake,” Bastien said with a nod when he joined the older man.

“Bastien.”

“I heard you’re flying out to Texas for the week tomorrow. Tell your mother I said hello.”

“Sure, I’ll tell her. Listen, I know she’ll ask about Savannah and if we’ve found her. Is there anything at all?”

“I’m sorry Drake. There’s been nothing more to go off of than we had last year.”

“I know . . . I just . . . feel guilty that I haven’t been looking.”

“Well, there have been many . . . distractions. . . lately.”

Drake frowned. He didn’t like what Bastien seemed to be insinuating “Yes . . . a lot happened this summer.”

“I am sorry, Drake.”

“For what?”

Bastien shifted uncomfortably. That wasn’t like him. “I just hope your time away from court helps you find the answers you’re looking for.”

Bastien had avoided the question and Drake almost decided to push him on why, but he knew Bastien well enough to know that he wasn’t going to get anywhere once Bastien started diverting attention elsewhere.

“I’m just trying to decide what comes next. Figured it was time to make peace with the past. You were right Bastien, nothing is staying the same around here.” Drake looked toward Liam and Madeleine. Madeleine was pretending to laugh at something the nobleman they were speaking to had said, smiling brightly, but there was no laughter in her eyes. They were as cold as ever.

***********************

Drake made his way through the massive Dallas/Ft Worth airport toward the passenger pickup area. He saw his mom before she saw him. It had been almost nine years since he’d seen her in person, so it took him by surprise that she looked older and more worn. She turned and when her eyes met his, they filled with tears and a hand flew to her mouth.

“Oh my lord, you look just like him now,” Bianca Walker said when he got closer.

“A little I guess,” Drake answered, running a hand through his hair. In truth, he didn’t think he looked much like his dad. “It’s, uh, it’s good to see you mom.”

“Well, come here,” she said, wrapping him in a hug. He hugged her back cautiously. They walked out to the car and she drove them back to the ranch.

“So, not that I’m complaining, but you’ve barely spoken to me in the last six years. Why the sudden vacation plans, son?”

“Can’t I just want to see my mom?”

She snorted. “Drake, I know very well that you’ve been angry with me for the past thirteen years. Can’t say I blame you. So, no, I don’t believe you came just because you suddenly missed me.”

“I just needed to get away from the palace. Figure out what I’m going to do with my life and all that. I can’t do that with Liam and R-” he stopped himself short from saying Riley’s name out loud. “I can’t do that with Liam constantly drawing me back into court life.”

“Uh huh. Liam and who?”

“Did you hear Constantine retired? Liam’s the King now.”

His mother blinked twice at the sudden change of topic, but if she wanted to push the issue, she must have thought better of it. “Oh yes, I heard. The tabloids over here were all full of stories about his coronation and that American girl sleeping around behind his back.” Drake’s fists clenched and he looked away.

“It wasn’t like that.”

“Oh no?” Bianca glanced at Drake. “Well, I guess it doesn’t matter much. Which one is he marrying again? They didn’t have a lot of details about that.”

“Madeleine.”

“Is that the ginger girl all y'all used to run around with?”

“No, that’s Olivia. I’m not sure which of the two would have been worse, but he chose Madeleine. Bastien says hi, by the way.”

“Oh, did he? Always liked him.”

“Yeah, he’s a good guy. He was always there for us, you know. After you left.”

“Honey, you know, I can apologize again if that’s what you need, but it won’t change anything. I never intended to leave you two there.”

“It’s fine mom. You did what you had to do and Savannah and I did what we had to do.”

“I assume you haven’t found her. Since you haven’t talked to me since she went missing and didn’t bring it up when you called.”

“No. I haven’t found her.” Drake’s stomach twisted with guilt and anger. “I don’t even know what happened to her. All I know is that I failed her.”

“Drake, you can’t blame yourself. It’s not your job to protect her.”

“Isn’t it?”

“You’re her brother, not her keeper. You can’t always stop bad things from happening and you can’t always protect the people you love. Besides, she always was a stubborn one.”

“Tell me about it.”

Savannah had actually spent more time in Texas than he had. Drake had only come twice since his mother moved back and although he liked being here, he never could quite resolve the anger and resentment he had for his mother abandoning them when they needed her most.

For the next several days, Drake settled into a routine of helping his mom on the ranch. It felt good to use his hands, to work outdoors, to feel useful. All the while, he was able to think about what direction his life might take. Liam said there could be a more official role for him at the palace, but Drake couldn’t imagine what that would be. It would have to be different than what he was now, and he wasn’t sure that he wanted to stick around the palace for anything other than what he had been doing for the last seven years. He thought about working in the stables again, he had really enjoyed it for the few summers he had done so and he enjoyed it here at the ranch. He knew they didn’t need a stable master and probably wouldn’t for several years, but maybe he could get a job at one of the other estates far away from the palace.

Drake thought about going back to finish school, but quickly dismissed the thought. Back then, he had been a business major because it seemed useful enough for anything. Now, the thought of pushing numbers around seemed unappealing. Even though he had only been a little less than a year away from finishing when Leo showed up on his doorstep to bring him back to Cordonia, Drake still hadn’t had a concrete plan on what he would do after graduation.

When Drake had been at the ranch five days, he actually did feel a bit lighter and less stressed, his head a little clearer. While he didn’t have an exact career path in mind quite yet, he realized that he did have enough in his savings to buy a small piece of land. He could figure something out for work, he had some ideas now, and maybe Liam could help point him in the right direction from there. Now, all he had to do was help Riley clear her name, support Liam through the tour and the wedding and then he could move on.

While Drake and his mom still didn’t see eye to eye on everything that had happened in the wake of Jackson Walker’s death, he had a better understanding of where his mom was coming from and what it had been like for her. He knew that he had to do a better job at staying connected. After all, he didn’t have much family left.

He had tried, and failed, to avoid thoughts of Riley. It really was difficult to imagine creating his life after Liam’s wedding if it was a life that didn’t include her. If she was staying though, it must be because there was still a chance for her to be with Liam. Maxwell had made it clear that that was why they were keeping her here. Liam had made it clear that he hoped to end his engagement to Madeleine once Riley’s reputation was restored.

Yet . . .  _ Riley _ had been very clear, at least with him, about what she wanted. But had she changed her mind?

Well, he wasn’t going to get any answers to those questions here in Texas. It had been a welcome reprieve, but it was time to go home. A ding on his phone, the first one all week reminded him that it was, indeed, time to go home.

_ Liam: Lady Hana has accepted Countess Madeleine’s invitation to return to court, as her friends will also be returning. Your flights arrive the same day, perhaps you can travel to Fydelia together. _

Drake had to admire Liam’s ability to pack a lot of information into a few short sentences. It was already very late in Shanghai, but if Hana was also arriving in Cordonia tomorrow, she would probably be in the air most of the time and unable to talk.

_ Drake: Hey Hana! Liam told me you’re coming back to Cordonia for the tour. Send me your flight info and I’ll meet you at the airport. _

_ Hana: Drake! That sounds perfect. I know we’ll be late to join the tour, but I only just heard that Riley would be returning to court. My flight is PB 1485 arriving at 9:52 pm. _

_ Drake: Sounds great. See you then. _

Looks like it would only be two more days and the whole gang would be back together.


	27. Riley’s Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riley returns to court for Liam and Madeleine’s engagement tour, eager to clear her names and see her friends. However, the task of clearing her name might be harder than it sounds and Drake and Hana are nowhere to be found. Despite her fears, Riley begins to realize she has more control over her situation than she once thought.

Riley was awed by the picturesque estate in Fydelia. As Bertrand had explained on the way over, Fydelia was the primary seat of the duchy of Krona. Although this was technically Madeleine’s estate as Countess of Fydelia, her mother, Duchess Adelaide, spent most of her time here rather than one of their other three manor houses.

It was a beautiful and charming estate, much more like what she had pictured the Beaumont estate would look. The exterior was a charming two level castle with winding paths and gardens surrounding it. It looked just like a fairytale, but Drake’s words echoed in her brain. Fairytales are for kids. . .

“Wow . . . this is something,” Riley said, taking in the view.

“Madeleine’s family home is considered one of the finest in Cordonia,” Maxwell said.

“And, lucky for us, she’s been gracious enough to grant us rooms in the main house,” Bertrand added eagerly. “Though, I’m still not certain if we should take this as a good sign or not.”

“You mean she might be keeping her friends close, but her enemies closer?” Maxwell asked.

“Precisely.”

When they arrived in Riley’s room, it was far more luxurious than she had imagined. She figured that Madeleine would shove her in the worst room possible. Of course, this might be the worst room possible . . .

“If we can be certain of anything, it’s that Madeleine will be going to great lengths to present a show of strength tonight,” Bertrand began. “Now, you should get dressed for the welcome party. Remember, this is your grand re-entrance to courtly society. The others in court don’t know you’re here, so it’ll be quite a surprise. It’s imperative that you look your finest.”

“And you do remember that I said I would need an allowance?”

“Actually, Maxwell insisted that we do our part. If you would,” Bertrand said, offering her a sleek pink dress.

Riley changed into the dress. It was fine, but didn’t really do much for her coloring or her figure, but it was better than nothing. She had brought a few of her dresses from the social season, so maybe there was something more flattering there.

“How do I look?” she asked, coming out for Bertrand’s inspection. Maxwell frowned immediately. Ha! She knew it wasn’t great.

“Perfectly respectable. It’s dignified, it’s distinctive, plus, it’s designer,” Bertrand answered proudly.

“And it was on sale,” Maxwell muttered.

“Maxwell!”

“What?”

“In any case, if you can’t come up with something better, I think this will be quite sufficient,” Bertrand said. Bertrand gathered his bags and told Maxwell that he would be settling into their room.

Maxwell grinned. “I also had one of the local shops send over a dress if you want another option,” he whispered to her. Riley nodded enthusiastically.

Maxwell pulled a garment bag out of the closet and presented it to Riley with a flourish. “Bertrand thinks that if he only presents you with less impressive options for dresses, you’ll step up on your own, but I wasn’t going to let that happen. You’ll love this one Riley!”

Riley changed into the show-stopping navy blue, satin cocktail dress with sparkling embroidery and a plunging neckline that left little to the imagination. If the Beaumonts wanted her to make an impression, this dress would do it. 

Stepping out into the main room, Riley smiled brightly. “If I’m going into a battlefield, I better have the best armor.”

Maxwell took in the look and exaggeratedly put a hand over his heart. “You look stunning. No one’s gonna want to mess with you. I’ll be back later to escort you to the party.”

Riley finished getting ready and missed Hana desperately. She wondered if Hana was invited back to court and if her parents would even allow her to come back if she was. She wondered how it would be to see Liam again. She was still angry with him for allowing her to be dragged out of the palace, but she needed all the allies she could get. At least she knew Drake would be on her side and she couldn’t wait to see his reaction to this dress!

Maxwell showed up right on time. “Ready to head out?”

“Believe me, I’m more than ready to clear my name.”

“We won’t rest until justice has been done!”

“Thank you Maxwell. Hey, please don’t leave me alone tonight. I really need a friend.”

“We’ll be like peanut butter and apple jam!”

“. . . Sure.”

Maxwell offered his arm, “My lady.”

“M’Lord.” 

Arm in arm, they walked through the hallways to the ballroom and the rest of the court. It was a good thing Riley had Maxwell to hold on to because every step toward the grand hall was more anxiety inducing than the last. They paused twice for Riley to stop and breathe. Thankfully, Maxwell didn’t seem to mind

When the doors opened, there were audible gasps around the room, followed shortly by whispers. Riley did her best to stay in character, plastering her perfected ‘Lady Riley’ smile on her face. She almost lost it when she heard Kiara mutter to Penelope, “Mon dieu! I can’t believe she’d dare show her face here.” A big part of her wanted to claw to two-faced bitch’s eyes out. Instead, she gripped Maxwell’s arm even tighter and nodded to the people as she passed by. She saw a flash. Great. The press was here too. She really did not want to answer any questions . . .

“Lady Riley?” Donnie from CBC asked out loud.

“As fashionable as ever. She hasn’t missed a beat, even in social exile,” Ana de Luca from Trend added. There was another flash as Ana took a picture of Riley and Maxwell.

“It’ll be interesting to see what Lady Riley intends to accomplish tonight.”

Riley’s hand tightened on Maxwell’s arm and she whispered to him, “I don’t have to answer any questions tonight, do I?”

“No, it’s not a press conference. They’re only allowed to observe and take pictures. We should start working on a statement though. Don’t worry, you’re doing great.”

“Thanks Maxwell.”

Riley’s eyes scanned the room for the faces she most longed to see, but Drake and Hana were nowhere to be found. She supposed Hana was still in China, but she had really expected to see Drake tonight. He had never missed an event before . . . 

Suddenly a woman in an elegant green dress and expensive pearls, who appeared to be in her late fifties approached them. 

“Excuse me. You must be the infamous Lady Riley.”

“That’s right . . .” Riley said, unsure of who this woman was.

“How bold of you to attend. . . but it’d be a boring party without a little scandal, don’t you think? Welcome to Fydelia.” Biting remarks for someone she didn’t know and an insincere welcome, Riley knew who this must be.

“You must be Madeleine's mother.”

“That’s right. I suppose the family resemblance must be what gave me away and hopefully not my age. My name is Adelaide.”

Riley curtsied elegantly, “Your Grace. It’s an honor to be here.”

Duchess Adelaide tapped the side of her champagne flute with a long, manicured nail, as if contemplating something. She didn’t smile, but Riley couldn’t help but feel she had passed some sort of test. “The press said you were an uncouth American who jilted King Liam . . . But now that I’ve met you, I’m not sure I believe them.” Adelaide turned to Maxwell. “Now  _ you _ . I believe everything they say about you.”

“You’re looking lovely as ever, Lady Adelaide.”

Adelaide broke into a wide grin and just as quickly narrowed her eyes crossly, “Lord Maxwell Beaumont, you have quite a bit of explaining to do! How is it that I’m never invited to any of these Beaumont parties that I’ve heard so much about?”

“Must have been a terrible oversight on our part!” Maxwell answered with his usual boyish grin.

“See to it that I’m on the guest list for the next one, if there are any more parties now that you’re more . . . settled.” She touched each of them on their outside arms, as if posing them for a prom picture. “Don’t the two of you make a darling couple.”

Riley noted that she said that last part just a bit louder than the rest of their conversation and the press seemed to be whispering among themselves. Interesting. Riley wondered what Adelaide and Madeleine had to gain by linking her romatically to Maxwell. Probably to dissuade speculation that she was here for Liam. Either way, she didn’t care. The press could speculate all they wanted about her. Actually, it suited her just fine for them to believe she was no longer interested in Liam. It would make things easier in the long run.

“Me and Maxwell, a darling couple?” Riley said in the same raised voice Adelaide had used. “We do look cute together, don’t we?”

Adelaide gave her a contemplative look, but Maxwell looked startled. “We do? I mean, of course we do!”

Riley nodded at Maxwell with a smile, “The cutest!”

Adelaide smiled, “Just adorable. Now, you should go pay your respects to Madeleine. Don’t let me keep you any longer.” With that, she brushed past them without another glance.

Riley leaned in to whisper to Maxwell, “She was trying to create rumors in the press, I hope you don’t mind that I played along. Since there will be rumors no matter what, I figured it would be better to pick and choose which ones to give credence to.”

“Oh! No, I don’t mind. That’s actually pretty smart. If they’re busy talking about us, they won’t be talking about Tariq. . . or Liam . . . or Drake.”

“Exactly,” Riley said with a smile.

“You know I’m always down for whatever. Now . . . game faces. It’s time to talk to Madeleine.”

Riley set her gaze on the small blonde woman across the room. With a deep breath, she squeezed Maxwell’s arm and they crossed the room. Madeleine saw them coming and returned Riley’s fixed expression with a smug smile.

“Lady Riley, I’m so pleased that your recent fall from grace didn’t keep you away. A lesser woman more well-versed in courtly politics might have gone into hiding. It’s so brave of you to be here.”

Riley had about eight different comebacks fly through her brain, starting with how Madeleine herself had hid from court for months after her engagement to Leo failed. Instead, she smiled sweetly and said, “Lady Madeleine, I just want to say congratulations on your engagement. You must be so happy.” She worked hard to keep the bite out of her last sentence.

“Thank you, dear. I’ve never been happier. With all of the royal commitments, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind. But you know how King Liam is. He makes me feel like I’m in a fairy tale. I know we’ll be very content. Won’t we darling?”

Riley felt a mix of anxiety and anger rise as she turned and found herself face to face with Liam, but she smoothed her face and kept it under control.

“Riley?” Clearly he was more shook at seeing her than she was. She didn’t know why exactly - he knew she would be arriving today. Somehow, the fact that he seemed flustered gave her a bit more confidence. She knew why she was here and she had control of the situation. “Ahem, I mean,  _ Lady _ Riley. I am surprised to see you. You look . . . well, as stunning as ever.”

She regarded him coolly. “Don’t think I’ve forgiven you.”

Liam’s eyes dropped to the floor. “No, I wouldn’t be so presumptuous as to think that. We need to -”

Madeleine stepped up and put a possessive hand on his arm, “We need to see to the rest of our guests,  _ sweetheart _ .” Madeleine said, finishing his sentence. She leaned in and kissed Liam’s cheek with a giggle. It was a ridiculous and forced display. Riley would have laughed at how unnecessary it all was since Madeleine was clearly trying to make Riley jealous and prove a point. “Being the royal couple of the hour has its obligations.”

“Ah, right,” Liam said sadly. He gazed longingly at Riley who kept her face straight.

“It was wonderful to see you both,” Riley said.

Liam nodded. “Lady Riley. Lord Maxwell.” Madeleine pulled him away and they went back to mingling with guests.

Maxwell led her away toward the appetizers, “We’ve got to be careful around Madeleine right now.”

“I’m still angry, but there’s so much that Liam and I need to talk about.”

“I know, but it will have to wait. Maybe you’ll get a chance to talk to him in private.”

“And spark new rumors? No thanks.”

“Well, we’ll figure something out. Hey, I see Bertrand over by the tables. He must’ve found our seats.”

Riley wondered how much this must feel like deja vu to the court. Madeleine probably had a similar party this time last year, but with Leo on her arm instead of Liam. It added to the absurdity of the whole event and Riley had to forcibly stop herself from laughing out loud.

Before Riley and Maxwell could get to their tables, they were confronted by Kiara and Penelope.

“Riley! I’m so excited to see you!” Penelope said, giving Riley a welcoming hug. “Oooh, I love your dress! Is it new?”

“Ahem!  _ Penelope, what are you doing?” _ Kiara hissed. “Even if Lady Riely was someone we deigned to associate with, we’re on Madeleine’s side now, remember?”

“Oh. Right.”

Riley almost laughed again. “You’re on Madeleine’s side? But I thought we were friends!”

“We are!” Penelope assured her.

Kiara rolled her eyes slightly fluttering her long lashes. “Friendship has nothing to do with it. Also, not to put too fine a point on it, but she’s made us her ladies-in-waiting.”

Penelope nodded enthusiastically. “It’s a huge, huge honor. We’re basically her closest confidantes!”

“But that also means we’re  _ beholden _ to be loyal to her.”

Riley had been at court long enough now to start reading between the lines of what people were saying. Three months ago, Riley would probably have taken what Kiara said at face value, but now, she heard what was being communicated. Kiara still liked Riley, but she was playing a game of power and influence. She also wasn’t thrilled about it. Kiara and Penelope would also have the inside track on whatever Madeleine was up to. Riley filed the information away with a slight nod to Kiara.

“I suppose that means you’re not sitting in the back of the room with us,” Riley said.

“Hardly. Madeleine has placed us in a very high position of honor at her table.”

“Well, then, thank you for letting me know.” She hoped Kiara got the message that Riley got the message that . . . whatever. Kiara was smart and an expert at negotiating courtly intrigue. She’d get it.

“It was the least we could do,” Penelope added.

“And we might even get in trouble for talking with you this long. Come on, Penelope.” Kiara grabbed Penelope’s arm and they walked off to the head table.

“It’s their loss. We’re more fun than Madeleine’s table.”

“Actually . . . I think that went well,” Riley mused.

“Come on . . . Bertrand has our seats.”

They sat and filled Bertrand in on their conversations with Adelaide, Madeleine, Liam, Kiara and Penelope.

Bertrand frowned, “It seems Madeleine has wasted no time consolidating power. Unfortunately, she has us at a disadvantage. We don’t have anything to offer potential allies.”

“That’s true,” Riley conceded. “However, I believe Madeleine is still afraid I’m a threat and Kiara and Penelope aren’t as in her pocket as she might think.”

“Still . . . with three of the great houses publicly in Madeleine’s camp, the minor houses will fall in line.”

Riley thought back to her lessons on Cordonian history. There were five great houses and Madeleine, Penelope, and Kiara represented three of them. The Beaumonts were a fourth and the final house was . . . “What about Olivia? She’s not here.”

“No,” Bertrand agreed. He smiled with approval. “I heard that she declined an offer to be a part of Madeleine’s court. Duchess Olivia is, ah, a wild card however. Her absence here does not necessarily speak support of you.”

“We’ve got each other!” Maxwell added.

Bertrand looked between Riley and Maxwell, “House Beaumont is doomed.”

“Come on, have a little faith,” Riley said. “We’ve just got to figure out how to clear my name. Now that we’re at court, how’s that going?”

Bertrand sighed. “I spoke briefly with some of the reporters. They haven’t been able to reach Tariq for comment. And obviously you haven’t given them an official statement yet. According to Ms. de Luca, your best chance at clearing your name is to compel Tariq to make a statement with you explaining the misunderstanding. Where do you think Tariq stands?”

“I think Tariq got set up just like I did. He seemed to think that I was in his room, and that  _ I _ was somehow confessing my love to  _ him. _ ”

“Yeah,” Maxwell added his voice of support. “I’ve known Tariq a long time, and I don’t think he’s ever made the first move. For what it’s worth, I think he was genuinely confused.”

“Which means we both got played - not that it makes any of it better.”

Bertrand nodded. “No matter how we might feel about him, he is the key to all of this. We need to find him and get him to make a statement.”

“Where do we start,” asked Riley.

“He’s been conspicuously absent since that night at the country manor. He didn’t come to our home, and he wasn’t even at the Coronation.”

“And I don’t see him here tonight,” Maxwell said after a glance around the room.

“Indeed. I asked around, and it appears that he’s left court. If he’s being used as a pawn, it’s likely that whoever set this up wanted him out of the way to prevent him from coming forward with the truth.”

Riley nodded. “So . . . we need to find him.”

“Precisely,” Bertrand agreed. “The sooner the better.”

Riley scanned the head table, wondering who up there had set this up and who might know where Tariq was. She watched Madeleine feed Liam a piece of lobster and giggling like a school girl. It was quite the show she was putting on.

Riley rolled her eyes. “Anyone else just lose their appetite?”

***************

After dinner, Riley returned to her room reflecting on the absurdity of the evening. The over-the-top possessiveness of Liam Madeleine displayed. The press would probably print that she was now dating Maxwell and speculate that she’d been sleeping with him all along. Unfortunately, the only two people she wanted to see weren’t there. She had all but decided that staying in Cordonia was entirely the wrong choice when there was a knock at the door. On the other side of the door she found Maxwell with an exquisite bouquet of two dozen red roses.

“Hey, what’s this? You know we’re not  _ actually _ dating, right?”

“Heh. It’s a special delivery. Housekeeping sent over a new centerpiece for your end table.”

Riley looked at her current centerpiece, which looked like it was freshly cut. Letting Maxwell in, she looked curiously at the bouquet and buried her nose in them to take in the fragrance. She found a paper wrapped around one of the stems.

_ ‘I wouldn’t blame you if you’re furious with me, but please meet me so I can at least explain. I’ll be on the balcony outside my room in twenty minutes.’ _

Maxwell examined the note. “That’s Liam’s handwriting,” he confirmed.

“He’s waiting for me on the balcony? In his room? What does he want?”

“According to the note, he wants to explain.”

“Explain what? That he allowed me to be thrown out of the palace like trash. No thanks, I was there.”

“Riley, he still cares about you.”

“Then he can stop inviting me to his room and talk to me like a normal person. I’m not going.” Riley tossed the flowers in the trash and ripped the note to pieces. “Actually, can you get rid of these? If they’re found in my trash, I’m sure a servant will notice and go running to Madeleine.”

“Wow Riley, one summer and you’re already more court savvy than I am.”

“Yeah, well, things happen and you get paranoid. You can go tell Liam that I’m not coming. I might be angry, but I don’t want him waiting out there alone.”

“Are you ever going to give him a chance to explain?”

“Probably.”

“But you’re never going to want to marry him . . . are you?”

“No. I don’t trust him.”

“Just get some rest for now. I’ll see you in the morning . . . bright and early!”

“Are we running?”

“You know it!”

“Ugh! Maxwell! 

“Just kidding. Unless you want to. Then I’m totally serious. Hashtag RunningBuddy.”

“I’ll pass. Goodnight Maxwell.”

***************************

The next morning, Riley woke up to knocking on her door.

“Okay, okay! Maxwell I’m coming, no need to break down the door!”

When she opened the door, it wasn’t Maxwell smiling back at her, it was . . . 

“Liam?”

He looked down at her sadly, “I hope I’m not disturbing you, but I shouldn’t linger in the hall. It was . . . difficult to get down here unseen.”

“Of course. Come in.”

He stepped inside and Riley closed the door. The awkwardness in the air did  _ not _ get better as they stood staring at each other for a moment.

Riley sighed. “What are you doing here, Liam? You’re an engaged man.”

“That’s correct,” he said. Liam hesitated a moment before continuing. “But Madeleine and I have an understanding. She knows that I’m not in love with her.”

“She does?”

“Yes. And . . . she simply doesn’t care.”

“Okay.”

“You don’t know Madeleine very well, but she’s uncompromisingly practical and as cunning as she is calculating. This arrangement suits her actually. But that’s not why I’m here. I can’t stay long, but I had to see you, to talk to you . . . to tell you how much I’ve missed you.”

Riley scoffed. “You missed me? Liam, how could you let me be dragged out that night? I mean, after those photos surfaced, we didn’t even get a chance to talk!”

“I know.”

“Are you going to ask me if it’s true?”

“You and Tariq? I don’t need to ask to know that it was either fake or a setup.”

“Did Drake fill you in on what happened?”

“Hana did. After you left. But I didn’t need them to tell me you’d never do that.”

Riley’s stomach twisted in guilt. She would have . . . just not with Tariq.

“If you know, then why did you choose Madeleine?”

“Someone wanted to prevent you from becoming queen. Someone with considerable resources, access to the royal court, and the ruthlessness to put you in a compromising position. And if I had stood up there and chosen you, Riley, from then on, you’d be in danger. I’m sorry that it happened as it did, but in that moment, the only way that I could think of to keep you safe was to make them think they’d won.”

“Safe? Do you think I’m safe here now? I was already set-up and nearly raped. So, am I safe here without the protection of the King and the royal guard? And a person, who is apparently threatened by my presence. Am I safe Liam?”

Liam looked defeated. “No, I cannot guarantee your safety here.”

“Fine. I just wish you’d reached out sooner.”

“I can only imagine how difficult this entire ordeal must have been for you. But it was too dangerous to risk reaching out. In order for this to work, it had to appear that I believed the photos and severed ties with you. I got engaged to Madeleine to buy us time. Her hope is that nothing changes, and I simply end up marrying her. But if we’re able to figure out who’s plotting against you, then anything is possible. Until then, for your safety, it must still appear as though we’re no longer involved.”

“Well that will be easy, since we are not.”

“Riley . . . I -”

Oh, he was serious! He actually thought they were going to continue seeing each other!

“I’m not interested in being your mistress Liam.”

“Riley, I understand that you’re angry, but I _ do _ love you.”

“Liam . . . tell me one thing about my family.”

“Your family?”

“Yes. What’s something you know about my family?”

Liam looked at her in shock. “I don’t . . . we haven’t really . . .”

“Listen to me. You say you love me, but how well do you actually know me? I want to be friends Liam, but you and I are  _ not _ involved. And you are still very much engaged to a woman  _ you _ chose.”

“Speaking of which, I’ve taken a big enough risk coming here . . . I should go.”

“Perhaps you should.”

“Take care of yourself, Riley. Your safety is all that I care about now.”

Liam looked at her sadly and slipped out into the hall. Riley shut the door and leaned against it. At least that conversation was over! And at least while they were on this tour, Riley would not have to continue to pretend to go on dates or spend alone time with Liam. Suddenly there was another knock at the door. Riley growled in frustration. If Liam still wanted to talk . . .

“Hey I thought you had to . . . What? I thought you were  _ gone _ !”

“Riley!” Hana squealed. 

“Hana!” Riley threw her arms around Hana and ushered her into the room.

“I missed you too,” Hana said, hugging her back fiercely.

“I thought you weren’t coming back. You didn’t answer my texts and you weren’t at the party last night, which was completely awful by the way, so I thought I’d never see you again!”

“To be honest, neither did I.”

“Your parents called you home. Do they know you’re here?”

“I’m actually here with their blessing. My father received a call from Countess Madeleine officially inviting me to stay in Cordonia as part of her entourage. She promised the court would find me a match worthy of the family name.”

“That’s great! I mean, awful that your parents are still trying to marry you off, but great that you’re here.”

“It is . . . but . . . Cordonia wouldn’t have been the same without you. I delayed my arrival just thinking about it. Then I heard you were returning, and I couldn’t come here fast enough. You’re the  _ real _ reason I want to be here. What made you decide to come back?”

“Clear my name, get revenge, see if this thing with Drake is real, be with my friends? Take your pick. If I can find Tariq, I can have him issue a statement that proves I was framed, and maybe can also figure out who’s plotting against me.”

“Well, I want to help. I hate the idea of anyone scheming against you. Anyway, have you seen Drake yet? He wouldn’t stop going on about how we need to take action and find out who set you up.”

“Not yet. When did you see him?”

“Oh, we both got back to Cordonia yesterday. He gave me a ride here from the airport.”

“Wait! He left Cordonia?”

“Yes, I think he said something about Texas. . .”

“Oh my god! Really? I need to talk to him then.”

“Why? What’s in Texas?”

“Oh, um, family.” Riley wasn’t sure how much she should share about Drake’s relationship with his mother. It wasn’t exactly her story to share.

“That makes sense. So . . . where do things stand between you two? We haven't been able to talk in ages and all you were able to tell me at the Coronation was that you had finally kissed and you were hoping to talk Liam out of choosing you.”

“Oh Hana, I don’t even know where things stand, the last I spoke to him or anything was when I was being dragged out of the ballroom. Our last real conversation, before everything fell apart was a whole lot of him telling me to go get engaged to Liam and not get hurt like Savannah. And then he kissed me again. So, you know, same old mixed messages I’ve been getting from him since the beginning.”

“You know he cares about you though.”

“That’s what he says.”

There was another knock on the door and Riley hoped that it was Drake, and was a little disappointed to find Maxwell.

“Rise and -- Hana!”

“Hey, Maxwell.”

The hugs and reunions continued.

“Bertrand said we’d never see you again.”

“It’s good to see you too.”

Riley was more than thrilled to have Hana back, but with Hana and Maxwell here all at once, it only made Drake’s absence more obvious. Riley shoved the sadness down for the time being and put on a smile for her friends.

“I assume you’re here because it’s time to get ready?” she said to Maxwell.

“That’s exactly right! If you’ll please follow me to the boutique, it’s time to make yourself flawless for the engagement party.”

“Oh. . . mind if I accompany you? For old time’s sake?”

“Old times like last month,” Riley laughed. “Changing hasn’t been quite the same without you. Lead the way Maxwell. And why is there an engagement party? I thought you and Bertrand already went to the engagement party.”

“Oh yes. The first one was an engagement party for King Liam of Cordonia, hosted by Queen Mother Regina. This engagement party is for Countess Madeleine of Fydelia, hosted by Duchess Adelaide. See? Completely different.”

“Even though it’s the same people attending?”

“Actually, it’s not. This one includes only the members of court attending the engagement tour and the minor nobles of Krona. The other one had a lot more of the older set of nobles and foreign royals.”

“I see,” said Hana. “If my mother’s house was from Krona, she would have been invited.”

“Precisely,” said Maxwell, in his best Bertrand impression.

“What duchy is your mother’s house in, Hana?” Riley asked.

“Castlerrelian. Kiara’s duchy.”

“Really? Did you know Kiara growing up?”

“We were introduced once when I was around nine, I think. My mother doesn’t like to spend much time in Cordonia?”

“Why’s that?”

“Well, honestly, I don’t think she got on well with my grandparents. It’s ironic, I know. Her brother runs the estate now, since my grandfather passed away. She seems fond of him, but it hasn’t made her want to come visit any more.”

“Here we are,” Maxwell announces as they arrive at the boutique on the ground floor of Madeleine’s estate.

“I can take it from here,” Hana said, shooing Maxwell away.

“You two enjoy yourselves. I’ll be prepping with Bertrand.

“Better you than me,” Riley shuddered.

“I’ll text you in an hour. If you don’t hear from me . . . send help!”

“Will do!”

When Maxwell was gone, Riley and Hana started searching the racks for dresses. 

“You’ve been here a day already . . . how have things been?” Hana asked.

“Well, if you hadn’t shown up when you did, I might be on a plane back to New York right now. But it’s much better now that you’re here.”

“Then I arrived not a moment too soon.”

“You have no idea! Liam came to see me right before you did. He seemed to be under the impression that we’re still a thing.”

“Poor Liam. He doesn’t even know that you haven’t been a thing for months!”

“Yes, it was very awkward. Promise me you won’t keep me waiting again. I need my wingwoman!”

“I promise. I’m here until you’re settled.”

“We’re the dynamic duo!”

Hana laughed and Riley felt more at ease than she had since before the Beaumont Bash.

“Now,” Riley continued. “What do you wear to an event where a conniving blond bitch is engaged to a king who thinks he loves you and you’re more into his best friend?”

Hana giggled again. “I think you wear something pink . . .” Hana held up a lacy pink sheath dress. “You know you’d turn heads at the party with this dress. . . maybe even show up Madeleine in her own home.”

“I can’t really argue with your taste, although pink is  _ your _ color.”

“We can share it!”

Riley tried on the form fitting dress. Pink was still not her best color, but it flattered her hourglass figure and was incredibly classy. She stepped out for Hana’s input.

“Oh . . . Riley . . . You look . . .”

“A little stuck, unfortunately. Can you help with the zipper? I can’t get it up all the way.”

Hana finished zipping the dress, “There you go.” She giggled “There, I have paid you back for zipping me up the first time we met.” There seemed to be a fleeting bittersweet look on Hana’s face.

“This might be an awkward time to ask, but do your parents approve of our friendship now? I mean, with the plot against me?”

Hana’s eyes dropped to the floor and she fiddled with the ends of her hair, the way she did when she was nervous. “Not . . . exactly.”

“So, should I stay away from you?”

“My parents mean the world to me, but they’re never going to stop me from spending time with you.”

Riley grinned. “I like rebel-against-parents Hana.”

“Besides, it’s all fake. We’ll clear your name, and then it won’t be an issue. So let’s go out to the party and mingle.”

“Right.”

Hana grabbed a dress from the rack and flounced into the dressing room. She came out a few minutes later in a glittering white cocktail dress. Finally ready, they made their way out to the lawn where everyone had gathered.

Madeleine and Liam were standing with Constantine and Regina, champagne glasses in hand. Madeleine eyed Riley up and down and scowled.

“Apparently I’m supposed to look hideous,” Riley whispered to Hana. Riley turned back to Madeleine and smiled her polite ‘Lady Riley’ smile. Madeleine narrowed her eyes at Hana as well.

“Hmmm, seems we’re both on the Cordonia’s Most Wanted list.”

Madeleine raised her champagne glass. “Excuse me everyone, I would like to propose a toast.” She shot a smug smile in Riley’s direction. “First, to each and every one of you for celebrating our engagement. Secondly, to our King Father Constantine, our Queen Mother, Regina, and my mother for their support.”

“Think nothing of it, hun,” cheered Adelaide, who had already downed her glass of champagne and was accosting a waiter for another.

“And lastly, to you, my darling,” Madeleine simpered, batting her eyelashes at Liam. “I wouldn’t want anyone else by my side.”

Liam smiled in what Riley recognized as the ‘prince smile,’ though she supposed now it was the ‘king smile.’ “I’m ever grateful to have you with me.” 

Madeleine made quite a show of delicately sipping her champagne and kissing Liam on the cheek. 

Riley whispered to Hana, “It was like this all night, last night. She’s putting on this huge show as if I’m supposed to be impressed.”

“It is a bit silly and overwrought.”

“Oh honey,” Adalaide was saying, a bit too loudly for the occasion. “Pecks on the cheek are sweet, but he’s your partner now. Kiss him like you mean it or I’ll do it for you.”

Madeleine turned bright red and Riley wasn’t sure if it was driven by anger or embarrassment or both. Liam looked a bit shocked and muttered, “That’s quite alright.”

“Mother! We’re in public.” Madeleine stammered.

“That never stopped me,” Adelaide remarked. Several nobles chuckled as they sipped their champagne, confirming Adelaide’s statement.

King Father Constantine touched the Duchess lightly on the arm, “Adelaide, I don’t think that’s the kind of support Madeleine was toasting.”

“Oh it’s fine.” Adelaide said, shrugging the former King off and finishing the second glass of champagne. “She needs a little prodding every now and then.”

Regina bristled. “Well, we should have many years together ahead of us. I’m sure we’ll see her come out of her shell.”

Riley watched the scene unfold like a bad reality show. If she hadn’t been embroiled in plans to smear her name and various love triangles, she would have been very intrigued. However, she was in the middle of this trainwreck and it was about to get worse since Madeleine was walking straight toward Riley and Hana. Clearly, Madeleine was looking to divert her anger and embarrassment somewhere other than at her mother, and Riley had a feeling it was about to be on them.

“Lady Hana, I’m happy to see you’ve arrived.”

“It’s an honor to be here. Thank you for the invitation back to court.”

“And with Lady Riley here as well, I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing a familiar face,” Madeleine said to Riley.

“It’s certainly nice to see Hana.”

“You know,” Madeleine continued breezily, “if it wasn’t for me, she’d still be on the other side of the world. I’ve heard that dogs remember those who feed them. I hope you’ll keep this in mind and remember that dear Hana is here by my personal invitation.”

Riley looked at Madeleine thoughtfully. Hana was not from a great house, it was not a great benefit to Madeleine to have her. This must be Liam’s doing. “Madeleine, why did you invite Hana back to court?”

Madeleine’s smile faded ever so briefly before she smiled even wider. “Hana’s talented, no? I can think of plenty of uses for her.”

“There’s more to her than ‘uses,’” Riley said through gritted teeth.

“Come now, even you benefit, Lady Riley. It’s nice to have your friend back, isn’t it?”

“I doubt you did this for my benefit.”

“The competition’s over. We don’t need to scheme behind each other’s backs anymore. You could just say thank you.”

“I never was one for scheming, but thanks.”

Liam approached their group and the dynamics immediately shifted. Riley frowned slightly, Hana curtsied, and Madeleine placed a possessive hand on him, smirking at Riley.

“King Liam,” Hana said as she curtsied.

“Lady Hana,” Liam said, greeting her warmly. “I’m elated you’ve returned.”

“I’m very happy to be here.”

“Lady Riley . . .”

Riley smiled politely, “Hello, Your Majesty.”

“You look beautiful.” 

Riley wanted to tell him to stop. He was doing neither of them any favors by openly fawning over her every time they saw each other. She forced her face to stay put and not roll her eyes or sigh loudly. His eyes swept Riley up and down and he smiled softly at her. No, this was getting out of hand. It was one thing during the social season when he was openly courting all the women, but now. . . now he just needed a smack in the face, or a cold shower, or . . . something.

Madeleine was scowling at them. “I believe a new delegation of visitors have just arrived. Why don’t you go greet them,  _ sweetheart _ .”

Liam snapped out of his love haze and instantly back into King Liam. “Of course. It was a pleasure seeing you again Lady Hana. Lady Riley.”

Once Liam had left the vicinity, Madeleine whirled on Riley. “Now, Lady Hana, if I may have a word with Lady Riley in private?”

“Oh, of course. Riley, I’ll find you afterwards.”

“Walk with me,” Madeleine said through clenched teeth.

“Uh, sure.”

Madeleine led Riley into the estate. After checking for lingering servants or lost guests, she turned on a heel and came face to face with Riley.

“You two could be a little more subtle.”

This time, Riley did sigh deeply. “What are you talking about?”

“You and Liam. . . the long-suffering looks . . . the star-crossed lovers act?”

“That’s all him. I’m not here for any of that and I didn’t ask him to feel this way about me.”

Madeleine looked confused, but she continued anyway, “That’s fine. Have all the feelings you want for one another. A tryst here and there can be managed, but  _ don’t embarrass me _ .”

“You really don’t care that your future husband is in love with another woman.”

“No. I grew up expecting that. When you’re behind closed doors, you can have his heart and . . . whatever other part of him you want. As long as I have the crown.” Riley almost laughed at Madeleine’s apparent discomfort at talking about sex, but she thought maybe she could sway Madeleine a little to her side.

“I have no designs on your fiancé or your crown Madeleine.”

This seemed to shake her a bit. “You know, this is practically the best thing that could’ve happened to you.”

“That’s garbage and you know it, but just so we’re clear, I have no intention to become Liam’s mistress. I know that all you want out of this deal is being queen, which would be fine with me, except that I am sad for my friend, Liam, who will never get to marry a woman that appreciates him.”

Madeleine sighed, “I’m trying to work with you.”

“Well, don’t bother. I’m not in love with him either.”

Madeleine stood in shock at that. “But, everyone knew that you were his choice.”

“Well, he wasn’t mine. Are we done here?”

“Yes, I think so. If you’ll excuse me, Lady Riley, I must meet with other guests before they leave.”

“See you around.”

“Apparently.” And with that, Madeleine walked curtly away.

The guests were beginning to enter the ballroom around Riley. She looked around for familiar faces and was immediately joined by Maxwell and Bertrand.

“Hey Riley!” Maxwell said. “Love the dress.”

“Come with us,” Bertrand said, far more urgently than Maxwell. “We need to talk away from the crowd.”

“Super sleuth mode activated,” Maxwell said, peering around the guests in an exaggerated way that made Bertrand scowl. 

Once they found a place away from others, Riley smiled, “What’s up?”

Bertrand inhaled, apparently trying to breathe in patience, “What’s ‘up’ is that while you were fraternizing, I spoke with some of my sources. It turns out Tariq’s not just out of the court . . . he’s not even in Cordonia. Which is to say that finding him will be more difficult than originally thought.”

Not in Cordonia? That literally meant he could be anywhere in the world. Suddenly the idea that they could just find him and make him tell the truth seemed naive. It was an insurmountable and hopeless task. Riley felt the despair of the days in exile immediately swim to the surface of her mind and the anxiety start to rise. “So, now what?”

“We’re at a bit of an investigative impasse at the moment. Fortunately, the engagement tour’s next stop is Applewood Manor, the very country estate where this illicit photo was taken.” 

More anxiety.

Bertrand continued. “I have to believe we’ll find something there. In fact, I’ve already made arrangements for us to drive ahead of the royal tour. We will depart for Applewood as soon as the festivities here end.”

“Wouldn’t want to miss a minute of this, would we?” Riley grumbled.

“Certainly not. Maxwell has a pressing social engagement.”

“Lady Adelaide pressured me into a dance with her,” Maxwell whispered.

“And we want to remain in her good graces for now,” Bertrand said definitively.

“As long as she doesn’t get too drunk this time. Last time was . . . awkward.”

“I need some air,” Riley said, almost overwhelmed by the crushing anxiety rising in her. She really didn’t care how many middle-aged Duchesses Maxwell had to dance with, she wanted to put off going to Applewood for as long as possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two things:  
> 1\. Book 2 is my favorite in the series because it has all the Drake romance scenes I look forward to the most.  
> 2\. If you have no interest in Liam, the dialogue in book 2 is ridiculous.
> 
> I stick to the plot, but re-write a lot of the dialogue, especially anything with Liam.
> 
> Another thing that bothers me throughout TRR is that Riley never seems to know what’s going on around her. And since my Riley is incredibly smart and has had weeks of training from Bertrand, she’s starting to take control a little more. No more waiting around for things to happen!


	28. Drake's Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After three long weeks, Drake and Riley are reunited. Without the suitor competition, Riley hopes to move on, but things are a little more complicated than that.

Drake wasn’t invited to this engagement party and that was fine with him. In fact, when he had arrived that morning with Hana, Madeleine had made a point to tell him that they did not have a guest room ready for him since he wasn’t actually a guest, but she supposed they could find somewhere in the servant’s quarters. Since he wanted to get on to Applewood anyway and check things out, he passed on her oh so generous offer. He wanted to check the doors and other security measures, just to be sure. He had heard later from Liam that Riley’s door handle was not the only security breach the last time they were at Applewood. Apparently a reporter had gotten onto the grounds during the Country Jamboree, which was a no-press event. Drake wondered what the hell the Royal Guard had been doing, but that was a question for another day.

After dinner with the servants, which was awkward because he kept having to explain that, no, he was not Liam’s valet, and no, the King did not even have or want a valet, Drake headed out through the grounds to head out to Applewood. Ten steps out of the estate, he almost walked straight into Riley, but instead, she ran into him, and he was able to catch her by the shoulders before she fell backwards.

It had been three very long weeks since he had seen her and now, here she was, out of nowhere. For a second, his breath caught in his throat, unable to believe that she was real.

“Brooks. . .”

“Drake?”

They stood staring at each other. Whether it was thirty seconds or thirty minutes, Drake wasn’t sure because he was pretty sure time had stopped altogether. He hadn’t spoken to her, texted her or anything since she was dragged out of the ballroom on Coronation night. He had still typed a goodnight message to her every night, leaving them all unsent. What must she think, though? Did she think he had finally pushed her away for good? Had he ruined any chance he had with her by following Liam’s instructions?

Drake realized he still had his hands on her shoulder and quickly dropped them to his side, blushing. After everything that happened, he certainly didn’t have the right to touch her.

“I’m so glad to see you!” Riley exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. “Have you been avoiding me or something?”

“Easy there. I haven’t been avoiding you, I just got here late and wasn’t invited to the events today. I didn’t want to interrupt while you were in there mingling with all the nobles.” he answered, gently easing her away.

“Believe me, with most of those conversations, I’d welcome an interruption or two.”

“Point taken. I’ll remember that next time.”

“Are you honestly going to tell me you didn’t miss me?”

He blushed again and ran a hand through his hair, “I didn’t say  _ that _ .”

“So what are you saying?”

“You’re a sight for sore eyes, okay?” He enveloped her into the hug he so desperately had wanted to give her for weeks, tangling his hand in her hair and holding her close to his chest. “Happy now?”

“Mmmmm. Very.” She sighed deeply, relaxing into him, then pulled back with a smile.

He drank in every detail of her face as he tucked some of her hair behind her ear gently. “It’s good to see you smile. After everything that happened. . . I know it must’ve been terrible for you. If there’s anything I can do to help . . . I want to do it.”

“Drake, what about us? I mean, you’ll help, but is that all?”

“Brooks . . . you know how I feel about you.” Well, mostly. She mostly knew.

“Yeah, so why don’t you take me away from all of this nonsense? There’s no more suitor competition, and I’m still in Cordonia. There’s no reason we can’t be together.”

Oh, if only that were true! At least it wasn’t too late . . . and she didn’t even seem mad at him. 

“Believe me, some part of me wants that desperately.”

Riley frowned. “I’m hearing a ‘but’ . . .”

He looked down and sighed. For the hundredth time, he wished he’d known about the threats against her and Olivia. They could’ve run away together before the whole scandal broke and nobody would be the wiser. Only then, that would have been the story, ‘Unfaithful Suitor Runs Off With Prince’s Best Friend on Coronation Night’. Besides, that story would have hurt Liam far more than any of this made up shit with Tariq. No, as much as he might fantasize about taking her away from this underhanded world, they had to stay and fix what was broken.

“I want you, Brooks. I want you bad. But not like this.”

She shook her head and stepped back. “What do you mean?”

“This conspiracy . . . people plotting against you and Liam. . . it’s not right to ask you to decide right now. If you wanted me over Liam, I’m . . .I’m not sure I could believe it, even if there wasn’t anything hanging over you.”

“Is it so hard to believe?”

“If you knew the whole history, you’d understand. My whole life, I’ve grown up in Prince Liam’s shadow. As a kid, he was the one that everyone served and adored. When we were older, he was the one the noble girls chased after. Plenty of women, both noble and commoners have used me to get close to Liam. Ask Maxwell, he’s had similar experiences. Some part of me truly can’t believe that  _ anyone _ could be interested in me at all when Liam is around. And definitely not someone like  _ you _ , Brooks. 

I’m not blind. Liam is literally offering you an entire kingdom. I can’t compete with that. And if by some miracle, you do find that you want me and not him . . . I don’t want you to ever regret it. If you choose me at the end of all this, I want to know it’s because you wanted  _ me _ , and not because of this damned . . . thing keeping you from Liam. 

Besides, if we were together publicly right now, it’d just cause an even bigger mess. More fodder against you and proof that you are what they say you are. We can’t hurt Liam like that either. Not on top of everything else. And we both know that you’d be a hell of a better queen than Madeleine. Cordonia deserves you. Liam deserves you. Me? I’m nobody. I’m never going to be good enough for you.”

He took a deep breath and looked to gauge her reaction. She was quiet for a moment, then stepped closer to him.

“Okay, that was a lot, but the most important thing I need you to hear right now is that I never want to hear you say that you aren’t good enough . . . for me or anything else. I don’t need to spend the next month pondering my choice over you or Liam because that choice was made long ago. If you don’t believe me, ask Hana. She had to hear me whine about it all summer. But if you need proof, I guess you’ll see when the time comes.”

“Hell, I’m sorry Brooks. I’m always disappointing you, aren’t I?”

“Is  _ that _ what you took from what I just said? That’s not what I meant. This whole thing is a mess, isn’t it?”

“It is . . . but not because of you. Because of this conspiracy against you.”

“When I catch whoever’s responsible for this . . .” He saw anger flash across her eyes like he’d never seen before. He remembered what she’d said back in Olivia’s wine cellar about being more like an alpha wolf, and for the first time, he believed it.

“Believe me, they’ll have a lot to answer to.”

Riley’s shoulders slumped uncharacteristically. “I don’t even know how many people are involved.”

He wrapped her in his arms again, since she didn’t seem to mind. “Hey, don’t get discouraged. You’ve got me, Maxwell, Bertrand, and Hana helping you, not to mention Liam.” She huffed a little at Liam’s name and pulled back. “I know it might not have seemed like it right after the ball.”

“Would it have killed you to text me?”

“No, but according to Liam, it might’ve killed you.” She threw him a confused look. “He takes your safety very seriously. We all do.”

“Oh yes. I heard all about his concern for my safety earlier today,” she said bitterly.

“You should’ve been with us that night, after the Coronation. Then you wouldn’t have any doubts.”

“You’ll have to tell me about it sometime,” she said, but she didn’t actually seem that interested. Clearly she was still upset with Liam. It would be all too easy to let her go on being mad at Liam, but that wouldn’t be fair to her or to Liam. Drake knew that she deserved to have all the information. If any part of her believed that Liam would willingly choose Madeleine over her, she needed the truth.

“Anytime.”

For the first time since he had known her, the usual sparkle that was Riley was gone. She looked thinner and tired. She looked defeated. Drake desperately wanted to bring some of her usual joy back, but somehow, he thought drowning their worries in a bottle of whiskey would probably make it worse. There was one thing that he was almost as much of an expert in as whiskey . . .

“You look like you could use some cheering up. That firepit over there would be perfect for making s’mores. I bet I can raid the kitchen for supplies. I know you probably ate during the party, but if you want some dessert. . . you can’t beat homemade s’mores. I’ll make you the best s’mores of your life and tell you all about everything you missed.”

A smile slowly spread across Riley’s face. “You have s’mores in Cordonia?”

“I am half American.”

“And you’re sure they’ll be the best of my life?”

“A hundred percent, yes.”

“You’re lucky I love s’mores.”

“Glad to hear it Brooks. Wait over by the fire pit. I’ll be right back.”

Drake made his way back to the estate and down to the kitchen. Fortunately, the staff had already cleaned the space and left. After snooping through a few cupboards, he’d found the needed supplies and walked back out to the fire pit. Walking back he was able to watch Riley's face in the firelight. She was staring at the fire intensely. A wave of guilt coursed through him. If he had just gotten her out when she wanted to leave after the Beaumont Bash, or even at the Coronation, all of this could be different right now. But where would they have gone and what would they have done? As he approached, she looked up and her expression softened and warmed, a touch of the usual sparkle in her eyes returned. It was a look she seemed to reserve for him.

“I see you’re warming up by the fire.”

“Of course. Now where are the goods?”

Drake laughed and showed her the bag containing sticks, marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate. She grinned and clapped her hands. “Everything we need for a perfect night by the fire. . . and a perfectly innocent reason for us to be out here together.” He settled in on the bench next to her. Riley scooted closer.

“And totally not a secret date,” Riley added with a smirk.

“Eh, no, Brooks. I already explained why we can’t be together right now.”

“You said we can’t be together  _ publicly _ because it will damage my image and hurt Liam. You said nothing about _ in secret _ ,” she said playfully. Clearly he wasn’t going to win this one, so he just shook his head.

“I would say it’s an innocent reason for us to be out here together and not discussing courtly intrigue.”

“Still counts in my book.”

“Ready?” he asked. Riley grabbed a stick and put a marshmallow on the end and stuck it in the fire. Who taught this girl how to toast marshmallows? “You’re going to burn it if you tilt it like that.”

“Are you the s’mores expert?”

“Damn right. I’ve made hundreds of these. When my family used to go camping, I practically lived off s’mores.”

“Tell me more about when you were little.”

He moved her stick so that it was toasting the outside of the marshmallow without lighting it on fire. “You know how I like to get away from all the pomp of the palace? Well, one of those outlets was when I’d go camping with my dad. We always went as a whole family in July, but whenever my dad got some time off, he and I would disappear into the wilderness for days. Though the first time we went camping was a disaster. After trekking through the woods for hours, neither of us could set up the tent correctly, and we had forgotten to pack our dinners. So we spent that night huddled under the stars by a small fire with nothing to eat but s’mores. But despite all that, we loved it. It was the one time he could really relax. . . when he didn’t have to worry about the King and his family, and he could just enjoy some time with us.”

“That sounds wonderful . . . and simple.”

“The best things in life usually are, Brooks.”

“It explains why you always go look at the stars when you’re looking for direction.”

“It does?” He’d never really thought about why. It was always just something he did.

“Yeah,” she said softly. “It’s kind of like getting as close as you can to your dad. Figuring out what he’d tell you to do.”

Huh. That sounded. . . exactly right.

“You should turn your marshmallow now and make sure the other side is toasted.”

She smiled and leaned against him as she turned it and watched it cook. “I missed your goodnight messages.”

“I still typed them. I just didn’t send them.”

“Really?”

Drake took out his phone and showed her the unsent messages sitting in their conversation thread. Twenty-two variations on ‘Goodnight Brooks.’ He laughed slightly at the memory of the first night after the coronation, after he deleted her contact info, realizing that he still had their texts. That and the fact that there were only two American phone numbers in his phone made him realize it was stupid to try and avoid it. That’s when he came up with the plan to go ahead and type the message and just not hit send until it was safe.

“Wow. . . so you didn’t abandon me.”

“Never.”

Riley hit the send button. “Brooks! We’re still not supposed to communicate electronically!”

“Too bad. Look, everyone knows we’re friends and if they are looking at our phone records and see these texts, there’s nothing really there other than saying goodnight.”

“Twenty-two good nights all it once might look, I dunno, kinda suspicious.”

Riley laughed. “They’ll just know you’re obsessed with me.”

“I was right from the beginning, you’re trouble,” Drake groaned.

“Too much for you to handle?”

“I didn’t say  _ that _ . Looks like the marshmallows are done.” Drake carefully assembled the graham cracker and chocolate, and slid Riley’s marshmallow off the stick. “M’lady.” She took her s’more and took a big bite while he assembled his own.

“Delicious,” she declared.

“I’m glad I didn’t disappoint.”

“Never,” she said, locking eyes with him.

For a minute, they sat in silence, munching on s’mores and stealing glances at each other. Riley switched her s’more to her left hand, and brushed her right hand down his arm and into his free hand. It made him tingle anywhere she touched him.

“So, you were going to tell me about what happened when I was dragged out of the Coronation?”

“Yeah. Let’s see. . . By the time I escaped security, your car was driving away. I ran after it . . But couldn’t get any closer than that. I thought about following, but my truck was on the other side of the palace and you would have been long gone.”

“Aw. . . Drake, I didn’t know you did that.”

“Yeah, for all the good it did, anyway. At that point, I figured, I would check in with Liam and see if I could get to the airport in time to stop you or get on the flight with you.”

“Hmmm, I thought about calling you and begging you to come to New York with me. I figured you’d never leave Liam.”

“I would have, actually. But . . . let me tell you the rest and you’ll see why that wouldn’t have worked.”

“Alright . . .”

“I headed back to the palace to learn what the others saw. I found Liam and Hana in your room. . .”

He told her about the conversation the three of them had, trying to emphasize how angry Liam had been at whoever set her up and how cautious he was being, in order to keep her safe.

“. . . And that’s pretty much how it went down.”

“I never knew you wanted to come after me.”

“Oh, well . . . yeah. I just wanted to make sure you’d be okay. I really would have followed you to New York if you left and the Beaumonts didn’t. It might have been stupid and dangerous, but I’d never abandon you. It was all I could do to stop myself from going to get you from Ramsford.”

“You were worried about me.”

Drake squeezed her hand and covered it with the other. “Honestly? I still am. Nobles have been assassinated in Cordonia, even those with a full security detail. I don’t know what I’d do if something like that happened to you.” His voice broke slightly as he choked out the last words. He couldn’t lose her. From now on, he would do absolutely anything to protect her.

“Well. Thank you for telling me.

“Of course. You deserve to know. And I know none of us would want you thinking that we’d just forgotten about you. I . . . I know this must’ve been bad for you. I’m sorry.”

Riley paused a moment. “I’m tougher than I look, but . . . yeah. It was bad. I was really depressed for days. I didn’t eat. I didn’t even get out of bed, or talk to Maxwell, or anything. I read all the horrible things they wrote about me and things my old friends were saying about me on social media. At least, I did until Maxwell took my phone away. I was furious with Liam. If I’m being honest, I still am, especially after what he and Madeleine both insinuated. But thinking you and Hana didn’t want anything to do with me, that . . . hurt . . . a lot.”

“I’m so sorry Brooks. You know I wanted to. I missed you every day.”

“Hmmmm. Well, a kiss would make me feel better,” Riley said with a sly smile.

This was heading quickly into dangerous territory. “Brooks. . . We can’t.” 

He released her hand and pulled away. Riley, however, was having none of it. She placed her hand on his knee and slowly moved it higher. “Drake. . . I want you right now. I haven’t seen you in three weeks.” 

She was looking up at him through those thick lashes of hers. His thinking was getting cloudy and everything else was getting warm and tingly. He groaned and looked away, trying to break the irresistible pull she had on him.

“Dammit, Brooks.”

Riley leaned into him and with a shaky breath, Drake threw caution to the wind. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close against him, making her squeal in delight. He kissed her, deeply and desperately, relishing the softness of her lips on his and the light floral scent of her shampoo. When he pulled away, sooner than he wanted, she let out a happy sigh and he pressed his forehead to hers. She clasped her hands behind his neck and lightly twirled his hair through her fingers.

“Drake . . .”

This was exactly the kind of situation he was supposed to be avoiding. He couldn’t protect her if he couldn’t stop himself from kissing her every time they were alone. “Damn it,” he whispered and put some space between them. He looked around to make sure no one saw them. 

“I want you, Brooks. More than anything. But I want this in the right way. For everyone involved. You most of all.” He sighed.

Riley looked at him with the same look she used to when they first met, when she was still trying to suss him out. “Drake, you need to know a few things about where my head is.”

“I told you Brooks, I want you to to clear your name and know what your options are.”

“Drake! Please listen. I was scared and angry at the Coronation. Someone with a lot of power put me in a terrible, dangerous situation and then exposed it as if it were something I wanted. All of this to keep me away from a position that I  _ never _ wanted.”

“But you were there. You chose to stay. You’d be engaged to Liam right now if those pictures weren’t out there.”

Riley sighed. “Yes, it’s a mess isn’t it? After we talked at the outside bar, I tried to tell Liam not to choose me. Right before the announcement, he wanted to go back into the hedge maze and I refused to go. He said . . . he said something that made me think he wasn’t just planning on a walk and I wasn’t very comfortable with that.”

Liam hadn’t said anything to Drake about that, but he did know what usually happened when Liam took girls to ‘walk’ through the maze.

“I made him talk to me there in the ballroom. He told me he loved me and that he was going to propose . . . as long as that was still what I wanted. I was going to tell him that, no, it was not at all what I wanted and that he should choose Hana. She would make an excellent queen, they get along well, and it would keep her in Cordonia. If he couldn’t marry for love, he could at least choose a friend. Who knows, maybe love would grow in time.”

“That . . . would have been a great solution.”

“Right? It would have wrapped things up very neatly. I never got to say any of that though, because Olivia interrupted the conversation to tell Liam she was dropping out and Bastien came to collect Liam. By the time I came back from talking to Olivia, it was too late.”

“Maxwell told me and Hana about the letter while you were with Olivia. I knew something was wrong, that you weren’t safe, and wanted to get you away, but . . . yeah, it was too late when you got back.”

Riley nodded. “So, yes, I would have said yes to Liam, to spare him the embarrassment of publicly rejecting his proposal. But I never wanted to marry him. I only stayed in Cordonia because you and my friends are here and I have nothing back in New York. I would have explained things to Liam and hopefully bought some time with the engagement to make a plan for staying in Cordonia without having to marry him.

When those pictures and articles came out, yes, I was scared and yes, I was angry. I was also . . . very relieved. As painful as it was to watch someone who said he loved me allow me to be dragged from his home and be labeled a slut, I was also so, so relieved that I was not going to be trapped in a marriage I didn’t want and a life that I didn’t want. It was finally over. I know it may seem strange, but although whoever is behind this intended to hurt me, they also did me a huge favor.”

Drake sat agape. He wasn’t sure how to respond to all of that.

“So, yes, I am here to clear my name. Not to be with Liam, but because I want to move on with my life on my terms.”

Drake nodded. “And I’ll be there for you, Brooks. For as long as you want me to be.”

Riley beamed up at him, “Good.”

“Riley!” Maxwell’s voice carried across the estate grounds.

Riley gave a small sigh and they stood up, “Looks like our time’s up. Hey! You still need to tell me about Texas!”

“How’d you know about that?”

“Hana told me. Tomorrow over whiskey?” She winked at him. He nodded, but took a step away from her as Maxwell came into view. 

“There you are!” Maxwell said, jogging up to them. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”

“Is it time to go?”

“Yeah, we’re all packed and ready, and you know how Bertrand gets when we’re running late.”

Drake eyed them curiously. “Are you headed out to Applewood tonight too?”

“Yeah,” Maxwell replied. “We’re going to become super sleuths and get a head start looking for clues.”

“No sense letting me keep you.”

“We can give you a ride, Drake. The limo has plenty of space.”

Three hours in a car with Bertrand and Maxwell and sitting near Riley without being able to touch her, acting like things were normal . . . uh, no. “No thanks. I might die if I spend several hours in a car with you.” He gave a sad glance at Riley. “Besides, I drove here.”

“Oh. Well, you’ll miss out on the Debonair Detective playlist.”

“See you around?” Riley asked.

“Sure thing, Brooks.” He was tempted to offer her a ride, but he didn’t want to push his luck, or raise suspicions with the Beaumonts.

“It’s road trip time!” Maxwell exclaimed, taking Riley’s arm and whisking her away.

When Riley and Maxwell were out of sight, Drake gathered the s’more supplies and returned them to their places in the kitchens. He made his way upstairs and was about ready to head out to his truck, again, when he ran into Liam.

“Drake!” Liam pulled him in for a brotherly hug. “I haven’t seen you all day, where have you been hiding? You have to tell me about your trip. Wait, let’s go to the drawing room. I’m sure Godfrey keeps an excellent whiskey around somewhere.”

“I can’t, I have to drive out to Applewood tonight.”

“Why tonight? We’ll all be leaving first thing in the morning and going straight to the barn raising.”

“Well, your lovely fiancée didn’t invite me to stay. I also wanted to double check a few things when we got there. I . . . don’t want Brooks ending up in the same situation.”

“We’ve doubled security for the tour, but I do appreciate you looking out for her in particular. And since she will hardly talk to me . . . not that I blame her.”

“You know Liam, maybe you should just try being her friend, like I’ve been telling you for ages.”

“Has she said something to you?”

Drake hesitated. He’d never been in a position where he couldn’t tell Liam anything and everything. It felt unnatural. “Only that she’s angry with you. You’re going to have to do some work to earn her trust back.”

Liam nodded glumly. “I’m sure she needs friends right now.”

“Exactly. Anyway, I need to head out.”

“I’m sure Madeleine can find a room for you. . .”

“Oh yes, I’m sure she can. She just made it clear that she won’t. I’m also pretty sure she’s behind the sudden change in attitude toward me from the palace staff.”

Liam’s face darkened. “I will speak to her about this.”

“Don’t bother. She’d just find another way to make me uncomfortable. She wants me out of the way.”

“No doubt. I think she will be surprised to find that I can play this game as well as she can, I’d just prefer not to have to.”

“I’m sorry Liam. You deserve better than all this.”

“What’s done is done. I’m counting on all of you to sort it out. Just let me know what resources are needed and you’ll have them.”

“Yeah. See you tomorrow then?”

Liam rolled his eyes. “Ah yes. We have a barn to build after all.”

“To your future!”

“One we will all pray never exists.”

“I’ll drink to that!”

“Then I owe you some whiskey. See you tomorrow.”

Drake continued on his way out to his truck and prepared for the long drive out to Applewood.

*****************

When he arrived at Applewood, there were a couple lights on in the guest wing of the Manor. He noticed that one of them was Riley’s room from their last visit. With the help of a servant, he found that he was indeed assigned his same room and took a guess that Riley was as well. Once his bag was unloaded in his room, he went to check on Riley’s door. It appeared that the door handle had been returned to its original. It was very late . . . maybe he shouldn’t bother her. 

After another moment’s hesitation, he knocked lightly. “Brooks, it’s me.”

The door opened, with Riley smiling brightly. “You made it! Are you next door to me again?” She ushered him in quickly and closed the door.

“Yeah, I’m still next door.”

“Thank god! I know it’s crazy, but this room . . . I just. . . I don’t really like being back in here. Last time I was in this room to get my stuff, it made me kind of sick to my stomach.”

Drake briefly checked the room. Windows closed and locked, curtains drawn, the regular handle on the door. “It looks safe now, but I am right next door if there’s anything you need.”

Riley wrapped her arms around his waist. “I wish you could stay with me.”

He gave in to the embrace and gently kissed the top of her head. “Believe me, I wish I could. As it is, I should get back to my room.”

“Yeah, I’m expecting Maxwell and Bertrand any minute. They went off to look for clues somewhere while I interrogated the maid.”

“Interrogating people already?”

“Well . . . asking nicely? Anyway, I actually got a good lead. One of the ladies told her to tell Tariq I was into him and that his room assignment had changed.”

“Hmmmm. One of the ladies?”

Just then there was a knock at the door and Riley opened it to reveal Bertrand and Maxwell. Maxwell gave him a suspicious look and Bertrand merely looked surprised.

“Drake? What are you doing here?”

“Just making sure Brooks is safe, Your Grace. I was just leaving. Goodnight everyone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So far in Book 2, I've found myself rewriting quite a bit of the canon dialogue, but the changes are pretty subtle and woven in throughout the dialogue. And since PB has to write it in such a way to leave all four love interests open, the dialogue throughout book 2 is annoyingly indecisive. Riley is not indecisive, so here we go.


	29. Barns and Baths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riley must face questions from the press and meets her new press secretary. Riley helps with the barn raising, but finds it difficult to focus. The gang goes to a spa.

Riley sat on her bed while Bertrand hovered over her. Maxwell was trying to make a cocktail out of the minibar stash, but was confounded by the lack of pineapple juice.

“What did you find out from the maid?” Bertrand demanded.

“A noble lady requested to deliver a love letter to Tariq on my behalf and tell him his room had changed . . .”

“On the last night of our stay? And he believed this?”

“Oh yeah,” Maxwell interjected. “Tariq might know a lot about fashion and shoes, but he’s pretty gullible. You should have seen his face when . . .”

“Thank you Maxwell. Riley, was she able to identify the lady in question?”

“No.” Riley sighed heavily, wishing she could just go to sleep. It had been an exceptionally long and emotionally draining day.

“Hmmmm . . .”

Maxwell, who was now shaking up some sort of cocktail concoction in an emptied water bottle, since there was no shaker, sensed the weariness in the room. “It seems what we have here my dear friends, is an instance of foul play. Find my pipe and magnifying glass. We have a case to solve.”

Riley chuckled, but Bertrand scowled, “Maxwell, we’re already investigating.”

“Exquisite work, Bertrand, my good chap.”

“Focus Maxwell! This information at least gives us some proof that you were set up.”

Riley knew it wasn’t enough. She already had Drake as a witness, but Bertrand had been quick to point out that his word alone wouldn’t be enough since he was friends with Riley, Maxwell, and Liam. It would be the same with the maid. She had no real credibility, particularly all these weeks later.

“We have to find more evidence,” Riley said. “This isn’t enough.”

“Unfortunately, you’re correct,” Bertrand confirmed. “The evidence is too circumstantial. We know you never sent a letter to Tariq, but how can we prove that beyond a shadow of a doubt?”

“We have a witness,” Maxwell offered.

“One witness - a maid, who would have everything to gain from currying favor with nobles such as ourselves. At best, this would poke holes in the narrative against you. We want a clear refutation of any wrongdoing. For now, let’s take heart. We’ve made our first steps towards solving this case.”

“Yeah, at least we know it’s a noble lady, which rules out . . . little more than half the court,” Maxwell added

“Hurray!” Riley said, actually cheered by the idea of narrowing the suspect list.

“Wooo! We’re doing it.” Maxwell gave Riley a high five and offered her a drink. She wasn’t usually a fan of Maxwell’s creations, but this one didn’t look too bad and she badly needed a drink.

“In the meantime, you must continue to endure through the engagement tour. Which means focusing on tomorrow’s event . . . barn-raising.”

Riley nearly choked on her drink, “We’re raising a what now?”

Bertrand bristled. “It’s an important Cordonian tradition where, as a community, we build a barn to symbolize the future of the bride and groom.”

“Bertrand, these events are stupid.”

“I know it must feel that way . . .” Maxwell started.

“Putting in good appearances will help the case for clearing your name. Which means honoring Cordonian traditions like this barn-raising.”

“Fine. . .” Riley said, finishing her drink.

“This is your chance to impress the court and show you’re not shaken by what the media says about you. Maybe you can even steal some time with King Liam.”

Riley didn’t want to get into an argument about Liam, or even talk about him, so she ignored that part and decided to focus on the press narrative. “What about the inevitable press questions?”

“Don’t worry. I’ve made arrangements to handle them. Now, to make those good impressions on your end, I recommend dressing down in an outfit suited for physical labor.”

“I don’t suppose you have one . . .”

“Er. . . well . . . not exactly, so to speak . . .”

“Allow me to translate,” Maxwell said grandly. “ _ We hope you’ll come up with something that’s practical, fashionable, and awesome because you’re the best, Riley. _ ”

“Yes, I suppose that’s close enough to the sentiment to work. Maxwell will meet you at the boutique tomorrow.”

“No need for that,” Riley said with a grin. “I’m pretty sure this situation calls for regular Riley clothes for once.”

“Ah. Well then. Rest well, Lady Riley.”

“Night Riley!”

When the brothers Beaumont were finally gone, Riley looked at her phone.

_ Drake: Goodnight Brooks. _

Riley smiled at the text that had been sent fifteen minutes ago. She knew Bertrand wouldn’t approve, but she no longer cared. If whoever it was scheming against her wanted to expose her relationship with Drake, then so be it. At least it would be something truthful.

_ Riley: Bertrand wouldn’t stop talking. Goodnight Drake. _

Riley curled up in the bed and drifted off to sleep.

*************************************************

When morning came, Riley woke up, not fully rested. Sleep had been difficult and she kept waking up from nightmares, checking the locks on her door and then trying to go back to sleep. She tried to replace the images of Tariq coming toward her with images of Drake pulling Tariq away and holding her close. Sometimes, in the nightmares, it was Liam coming toward her and she was unable to stop him. “You’ll be my queen,” he would say, but this time, Drake wouldn’t save her, he just stood by and watched. Sometimes it was Maxwell standing by while Liam grabbed her and forced her to kiss him.

Riley knew it was unfair. Liam had never once forced her to do anything she didn’t want to. They hadn’t even kissed since New York! It still unsettled her and obviously she had some feelings toward all the men in her life to work through.

Trying to shake off the nightmares, Riley forced herself into her morning routine. She rustled through her clothes and found exactly what she was looking for: denim shorts, a tank top, and a red flannel. Simple, cute, and blessedly free. Maxwell came to find her when she was finishing drying her hair.

“I’ll escort you to the limo when you’re ready,” he said, ready to duck out.

“Oh, you can stay, it will only be a minute. Tell me about the barn-raising. How much actual raising are we expected to do?”

“Heh, most of it. I think it will be pretty funny to watch Bertrand do manual labor.”

Riley laughed at the image of Bertrand building a barn. “Well, I’ve seen him scrub floors, so I can just imagine.”

“I just hope they let me use the power tools this time. Last year I was banned.”

“I can’t imagine why. So, there’s a barn out there somewhere built to Leo and Madeleine’s non-existent future.”

“Funny story. It never got finished. Leo called it off half way through so everyone could go to the pub. We stayed in Fydelia for that one.”

“So, it went exactly like their future?”

“Heh, yep! I think that’s part of why Madeleine wanted to come out to the country. No bars around for anyone to escape to.”

“What about that western bar we went to on Drake’s birthday? That wasn’t far from here.”

“Heh, well don’t tell Madeleine about that one.”

Riley had finished getting ready and was pleased with the result. She just hoped that Drake would be just as pleased. She came out of the bathroom and did a twirl for Maxwell.

“So?”

“Now that’s ingenuity. Shall we be off?”

“No other way but forward, right?”

Arm in arm, they made their way to the manor entrance.

“I know these aren’t the greatest circumstances to be under, but I believe you’ll pull through.”

“Thanks.”

“Let’s get to building. The physical activity will help with the stress.”

As soon as they stepped out of the manor, they were mobbed by the press. Ana de Luca took her usual spot at the front of the pack.

“This just in, the disgraced Lady Riley is making her appearance.”

Riley tightened her grip on Maxwell’s arm as she struggled to focus. He leaned in and whispered, “Keep your head down and move quickly. The limo is waiting for us at the end of the walkway.”

Riley tried to put her head down and focus on the walkway. The press swarmed around them and Riley struggled not to scream or push them out of the way.

“Why are you still at court?” Ana asked, right in Riley’s face now.

“Excuse us, sorry, no time for autographs today,” Maxwell said cheerily gently pushing Ana aside.

“Lady Riley, Cordonia wants to know. Why did you betray King Liam?”

Riley couldn’t keep her silence any longer. “I didn’t do anything wrong. It was a misunderstanding.”

Ana smiled widely. “So you’re claiming there’s more here than meets the eye? Why haven’t you spoken out before, if that’s true?”

Maxwell held onto Riley firmly and gave Ana a cool stare. “Sure, we could stand around all day pointing fingers and asking questions, but where would that get us?”

“The truth? A story that I can print? You understand how this works, Lord Beaumont,” Ana smirked.

“Those are all valid goals, and in times like these, we should all strive to have goals.”

Suddenly, a hand reached through the crowd, pushing the microphones away.

“Alright, back off, back off. You’ll get your chance to hear from Lady Riley at the barn-raising, and not a minute sooner!” The man pushed Riley gently down the path toward the limo and whispered to her as they walked. “Keep moving, Lady Riley. Nice and easy. No need to feed the carrions just yet.”

“Who are you?” she asked.

“Your new best friend.”

Finally, they made it to the limo where Bertrand was waiting and piled in as quickly as they could. Maxwell sat next to her while Bertrand and Riley’s ‘new best friend,’ sat across from them. Maxwell reached out and squeezed her hand and slowly Riley’s breathing returned to normal.

“Riley, are you okay? That was scary. The press surrounded us like a zombie hoard.”

“Yeah, I’m safe now. Thank to . . .” Riley threw a questioning glance at the stranger seated next to Bertrand.

“The name’s Justin. And it looks like I arrived  _ ‘just-in _ ’ time.”

Riley’s eyes narrowed. She appreciated the assist, but she really hoped the catch-phrase wasn’t a thing.

“He’s an up-and-coming communications agent in the Cordonian bureaucracy,” Bertrand explained.

Maxwell looked at Justin suspiciously. “Up-and-coming means affordable.”

“Maxwell!”

“What it means,” Justin interrupted, “is that I’m a bargain right now. Next year, when people have seen my magic, my prices will be double or triple what they are today. Of course, guiding you through the current storm may quintuple my prices, which is why I’m keen to work for you.”

“Ahem.” Bertrand started. “I brought Justin on as a press secretary to help manage your image.”

“Forgive the intrusion earlier. The press looked like they were giving you a rough time, and I don’t like to see my clients being manhandled.”

Riley looked to Maxwell. She’d actually been pretty impressed with how he had diverted Ana de Luca’s attention. She thought back on her press appearances in the summer and realized she had been pretty lucky to get away with clichéd answers and things she’d improvised based on a few tips. Perhaps it was time for some help, even if this guy gave her a weird vibe.

“Thank goodness you’re here. We need professional help.”

“I’m happy to lend my assistance,” he said with what Riley identified as a fake smile. “If you trust me, then we’ll have you back on top in no time.”

“Speaking of which, Justin, if you’ll please give her some tips, so we can avoid any future mishaps, that would be most appreciated.”

“Biggest lesson for today . . . you’ve got to be careful when feeding the press. They’re like starved tigers, and you’re trying to feed them bits of raw meat out of the palm of your hand.”

Riley huffed. That was a lot of metaphors for a tip. Couldn’t he just tell her what to say? “Meaning?”

If her tone bothered him, he didn’t let it show. Justin continued smoothly. “If you’re not careful, you’re going to lose a few fingers.”

That’s it? How . . . unhelpful. “Got it.”

“They’re going to steer your answers with questions because they want that perfect soundbite to fit  _ their _ narrative. Don’t let them do that. You’ve got to be the one who controls  _ your _ narrative. Stay on message.”

“Right!” Finally! A tip that actually made sense. Yes, she needed to only give the press what she wanted them to say. It was just like what Ana said to Maxwell. She needed a story she could print.

“Er, what’s the message?” Maxwell asked, clearly anxious that he’d made things worse.

“That Riley is a perfect little angel who loves Cordonia.” Justin turned to Riley. “Drive it home. If they ask you about anything else, pivot to your innocence. It doesn’t matter what it is. Even if they want to know your mother’s maiden name, you stay on message.”

“I am an adorable angel who loves Cordonia.”

“You’re a natural. I love it.”

“Give me a line to memorize and I’m good to go.”

“Now, the press are already gathering at the barn-raising event. It’s a good time to issue an official statement.”

“Spin my image to weather the news cycles?”

“Keep throwing around jargon like that, and everyone will think you’re a professional.”

Well,” Bertrand said, almost proudly. “She does have an ivy league degree in political science and theatre.”

Riley grinned at Bertrand, “I believe that was a  _ fucking _ ivy league degree.”

Bertrand scowled back at her, “Right. Which no one would believe with that mouth of yours.”

Justin looked back and forth between the two of them, “Well. It is good to know Lady Riley has an education in the politics of it all, but Duke Ramsford is correct, I would avoid profanity.”

“I am an adorable angel who  _ never uses curse words, and loves Cordonia.” _

__

“Exactly.” The limo came to a stop. “Showtime.”

__

Riley smiled at that. Yes. She could put on a show. 

__

“Good luck, Riley,” Maxwell said with another squeeze of her hand before letting go. 

__

Riley took a deep breath and instantly turned into ‘Lady Riley.’ She got out of the limo with Justin right behind her. The press took notice and immediately approached them. Donnie Brine immediately launched in.

__

“Lady Riley, if we could get in a quick question.”

__

Justin cut him off. “I believe she would like to issue a statement instead.”

__

Suddenly Riley wished they had spent more time crafting a statement and less time on tiger metaphors. She looked at the expectant members of the press.

__

“I spent the social season falling in love with this beautiful kingdom. In fact, faced with the possibility of having to leave, I found that I had begun to think of it as home. I am very grateful to the Beaumont’s for bringing me here and welcoming me into their family . . . and that’s all I have to say for now.”

__

A flurry of questions were shouted at Riley, but Justin stepped in front of her. “Thank you all for your time, but Lady Riley has a barn to build.” And with that, he led her away from the press, followed by Maxwell and Bertrand.

__

“So, how was that?” Riley asked, pretty pleased with her improvisation.

__

“You crushed it,” Justin confirmed. “This is going to be the easiest job I’ve ever had, and I once interned as an ice cream taste-tester.” 

__

They turned their attention to the frame of the barn where several people were already working. “Looks like they’ve already started,” Maxwell said.

__

“Time to jump in!” Justin said.

__

Bertrand looked extremely uncomfortable. “I’ve had my fill of this heat. I’ll be back at the manor looking for more clues.”

__

Riley and Maxwell shared a look and they watched Bertrand scurry back to the limo. Not far away, Liam and Madeleine stood smiling, arm in arm, answering Donnie’s questions.

__

“How does it feel to help build a barn alongside your fellow Cordonians?”

__

“We’re honored to be part of this great Cordonian tradition,” Madeleine said sweetly.

__

Liam flashed a bright white smile, “This is a way of showing that the Crown serves with the people of Cordonia.”

__

“Speaking of the people, we want to know . . . Are you two enjoying your engagement together?”

__

Madeleine gave a light laugh and smiled directly at Liam. “I couldn’t be happier with my Liam.”

__

“Of course, we couldn’t imagine being with anyone else.” Riley looked curiously at Liam who had remained stoic during that last comment. Well, that was convincing no one.

__

“That’s your answer, folks. This has been Donnie Brine coming to you live from the Cordonian countryside.”

__

Maxwell looked at Riley, who was still watching Liam. “You okay, Riley?”

__

“This is probably harder on Liam than it is on me. He has to go through every motion, even if it means lying to his people. Maxwell. . . this is exactly why I didn’t want to be queen. I didn’t want to stand up there and lie and pretend every day for the rest of my life.”

__

“Yeah . . . I can see that.”

__

“That said, Liam could use some acting lessons.”

__

Justin came up behind them again. “Well, this is where I leave you. I’ll be subtly directing the press to take photos of you. Wish me luck in the hornet’s nest.” Riley watched Justin saunter off toward the press corps, then they turned toward the barn. 

__

“Let’s go,” Maxwell said. 

__

They quickly found Drake and Hana operating a pulley system to lift beams.

__

“Pull!” Drake was saying as he and Hana pulled.

__

Riley inhaled sharply as she took in the sight of Drake, shirtless, with muscles rippling. She felt heat rise in her and her heart beat faster. She tried pulling her eyes away, but was mesmerized watching him.

__

“Pull! Pull! Pull!” Maxwell said, cheering them on.

__

“Hey, guys,” Riley said to both of them, still staring at Drake.

__

“Maxwell? Riley?”

__

Hana dropped the rope to run toward them, sending the beam crashing to the ground. It was enough to startle Riley out of her daze.

__

“Oops! Sorry, Drake! I was just excited to see our friends. And it looks like Riley came dressed and ready to work.”

__

“You know it,” Riley said, greeting Hana with a hug.

__

“I don’t think we were going to get it all the way up there anyway,” Drake said, pulling Riley’s attention once again. He was now staring at her the way she was staring at him. She saw him swallow and wet his lips as his eyes swept over her from head to toe and back again.

__

“Drake . . . you’re not wearing a shirt,” she said, not really meaning to speak out loud. He threw her one of his killer smirks and her knees went weak. She actually had to put energy into remembering how to stand up straight. Riley wondered how she was supposed to be of any help with manual labor if she couldn’t even stand up properly.

__

“Oh. Right,” he said, still staring at her.

__

Hana watched them with a bemused smile. “He started off with a shirt . . .”

__

“Hey, it’s hot out!” Drake tried to explain, with his eyes still on Riley. “A guy’s got to cool off somehow. Maxwell, you’re going to be sweating buckets in that black shirt.” Drake had finally managed to tear his eyes away from Riley for a moment to speak to Maxwell.

__

Riley vaguely heard Maxwell and Hana discussing what to do with his black dress shirt, but she wasn’t really paying attention. Her brain was already on it’s fifth fantasy of Drake swooping her up in his arms while she wrapped her legs and arms around him. Or maybe he would pin her against the outside of the barn and kiss her like he had outside Hana’s room after the Beaumont Bash. But he couldn’t because the press would see them . . .

__

“Drake, you sure you’re not trying to show off for the press?”

__

She heard Hana and Maxwell chuckling. . . somewhere. Were they nearby?

__

“I’m happiest out of frame,” Drake told her.

__

“Well, Riley should be giving the press something to shoot. Come on! Let’s lift things and build barns” Maxwell announced loudly. He put his hands on Riley’s shoulders, startling her and pushing her toward the pulley Drake and Hana had been using earlier. In her ear, he whispered, “Down girl. Don’t forget the press is watching your every move.”

__

“Was it that bad,” she whispered back.

__

“I think you might want to wipe the drool off.”

__

Riley hit him playfully on the arm, but he was right. She needed to focus, not give the press something else to speculate about.

__

The four of them each grabbed a section of rope.

__

“Everyone ready?” Drake asked.

__

“Ready.”

__

“We’re supposed to hold it like this, right?” Hana said, checking her hold against Drake’s.

__

“Yeah, you got it. Now on three, pull together. One . . . Two . . . Three.”

__

The four of them pulled together, to Riley’s surprise, fairly easily lifted the beam to the second floor of the barn. Riley heard the clicks of cameras as they pulled and again as they gave each other high fives in celebration.

__

“We did it!” Hana squealed.

__

Riley laughed, “We showed that beam!”

__

“That was mostly me, but the help was appreciated,” Maxwell said to a nearby reporter.

__

“Yeah, it sure was,” Drake said under his breath.

__

As they regrouped and looked for their next tasks, Maxwell said, “Riley, I’ll look for something that’ll put you on the front page.”

__

“Making planks for the walls looks like fun,” Hana said. “You could help me with that.”

__

Riley’s eyes drifted back to Drake, who was staring at her again. She raised an eyebrow at him. “You're welcome to stay here,” he said.

__

“I’ll stay here with Drake,” she said letting her eyes linger across his abs.

__

Maxwell raised his eyebrows, then smiled. “Suit yourself.”

__

“Have fun!” Hana said with a wink.

__

Their friends went off in different directions and Riley turned to Drake.

__

“Well, looks like you’ve chosen to stick with me, Brooks.”

__

“I stand by my decision,” she said, sweeping her eyes over him appreciatively once again. The air felt electric around them. She needed to remember Maxwell’s advice and chill the fuck out, but her imagination was working overtime. She didn’t even know what had her all hot and bothered, it wasn’t like it was the first time she’d seen him without a shirt! But . . . damn!

__

“Heh, alright,” Drake said with another smirk.

__

“So, what does big strong Drake need my help with?”

__

“Beam lifting, of course. But I’m bringing in some help.”

__

He waved over to a few of the workers and soon, they brought over Marabelle! Riley was so excited, she hadn’t seen her since the Fox Hunt. The workers attached Marabelle to the pulley system.

__

“Marabelle!”

__

“Liam made sure she was taken care of for you.”

__

“Mmmhmm, I’m sure that was mostly you.”

__

“Well, kind of.”

__

“That’s what I thought. Hey, girl. Are you gonna help us build this barn?” Marabelle nuzzled into her. At least she hadn’t forgotten her!

__

Drake watched the two of them with a rare smile. “I figured some real horsepower would make everything go a lot quicker. But this’ll make an even better picture for the press. Your outfit next to a horse will complete the look.”

__

“You like it?” she asked with a sly smile.

__

“Oh Brooks, you have NO idea. How come you never wore that riding. . . or ever?”

__

“Maybe I was inspired by your recent trip to Texas. Can’t have some Texas country girl steal you away.”

__

He laughed, “You don’t have to worry about that.”

__

“Aww, thanks, Drake. You do care.”

__

“I never said I didn’t.”

__

Riley noticed the press looking at them and decided that was enough flirting. “What do I need to do?”

__

“I want you to guide the horse forward, while I direct the beam. I figured you would have the best control since she’s your horse.”

__

“Got it, although I’m sure you could lead her just fine.”

__

He winked at her and moved over to the beam. “Okay! Pull!”

__

Riley guided the horse forward slowly as Drake kept the beam aligned. They did three more to finish the job. Drake walked back over to her, muscles glistening in the sun.

__

“Whew, that wasn’t so bad. Good work, Riley.”

__

She raised an eyebrow at the use of her first name. “Thanks, but Marabelle did most of the work.”

__

Drake stroked the horse’s neck and face. “Thank you Marabelle.” Riley had missed watching Drake with the horses. He was most himself around them. For a few minutes, they stood, petting Marabelle and quietly enjoying each other’s company, but all too soon, their attention was drawn away by Kiara struggling to carry a beam and it crashing down on top of her, pinning her underneath.

__

“Mon dieu!”

__

“Kiara!” Riley called, grabbing Drake’s arm and pulling him along to check on Kiara.

__

“Oh, jeez.” Drake tossed the beam aside and helped Kiara up.

__

“Oh, merci beaucoup.”

__

“You okay?” Riley asked.

__

“I am now,” Kiara said and Riley watched Kiara’s eyes slide over to Drake and a small smile spread on her face.

__

Drake was apparently oblivious to Kiara’s appreciation. “You shouldn’t carry this all by yourself,” he told her.

__

“I . . . uh, you know how it is.” Kiara was definitely checking Drake out and for the first time, it was Riley that felt a surge of jealousy. “Penelope said she was taking a five minute break thirty minutes ago, and I didn’t want to wait around.” Kiara had pulled her luxurious hair over shoulder and was looking up at Drake through her dark eyelashes. 

__

“If you’re going to carry a beam, even a small one, at least find someone like me to help you,” Drake told her.

__

“Right, I’ll find someone . . . like you,” Kiara said sweetly. Riley seethed as she resisted the urge to tackle Kiara and maybe hit her with the beam. She knew she was being irrational, but she was also incredibly tired of playing nice with everyone. Drake finally seemed to catch on to Kiara’s obvious flirtation and cleared his throat and stepped away.

__

“Thank you for looking out for me, Drake,” she said with a smile before walking away with decidedly more sway to her hips than usual.

__

Drake just looked dumbfounded. Riley tried to rein in her jealousy. “Do you think you have an admirer?”

__

He looked back at her in horror. “I hope not.”

__

Riley looked to where Kiara had met up with Penelope. She was sneaking a glance back at Drake and whispering something to Penelope.

__

“I think she might be checking you out,” Riley told Drake.

__

“That’s not funny.”

__

“I’m not laughing,” she told him with narrowed eyes.

__

“Brooks, are you actually jealous?” Riley just huffed in response. “Uh huh. I don’t want to think about this. Let’s just finish this barn. That’s simple. Just move and build.”

__

“Right,” Riley said with a smile.

__

They got back to work, and shockingly, by then end of the day, there was a barn standing in a field. Riley wondered if it would ever be used or if it would be torn down or if it would just stand here, a testament to the marriage of King Liam and Madeleine? What a strange tradition.

__

The four friends reconnected as everyone stood back admiring the day’s work. 

__

“We did it!” Riley said, wiping the sweat off her neck with a towel provided by servants who had suddenly appeared. “And it looks great.”

__

“Not bad for a bunch of nobles,” Drake said begrudgingly.

__

“That was exhausting, but I’m glad we did it,” Hana said as she daintily dabbed her temples and neatened her hair.

__

“No more. Can’t . . . saw . . . another . . . plank of wood.” Maxwell gasped, hands on his knees.

__

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic, Maxwell. If this was a dance set, you’d still be going,” Drake said.

__

“Like a heart, I need a beat to keep going, but all I hear is the angel’s choir.” He reached up to the heavens. “Remember me fondly.” He collapsed dramatically on the ground.

__

Riley gave him a slow clap. After all, it was a well performed death scene.

__

Hana on the other hand, looked alarmed. “Should we . . .”

__

Drake held out a hand to stop Hana from going to Maxwell’s rescue. “He’ll be fine. Don’t encourage him.”

__

Liam walked toward the group with a smile. Hmmm, it seemed that Madeleine had finally let go of his arm.

__

“Hello, my lords and ladies,” he greeted them.

__

Drake smiled. “You managed to escape after all.”

__

“Until tomorrow at least. It’s been a long day.”

__

“No kidding,” Riley said. “I could really use a bath.” Both Drake and Liam’s eyebrows raised in an eerily identical expression.

__

Maxwell lifted his face off the ground. “Oh, I know of a spa nearby where we could unwind.”

__

Drake turned a level look at Maxwell. “What happened to being on death’s doorstep?”

__

With a series of complicated spins, Maxwell stood up and started bouncing toward the waiting limo. “I caught my second wind.”

__

“I’d love a relaxing spa trip,” Hana said to the remaining three members of their party.

__

“That’s be a nice end to the day,” Liam agreed.

__

“Let’s go!” Maxwell called, already waiting by the car.

__

Drake rolled his eyes, but followed after the rest of them who were already chatting about saunas and hot tubs. Riley heard him mumble something about needing a cold shower.

__

Liam separated from the group to speak to Bastien while the rest of them piled into the Beaumont limo. Maxwell was debating between two different playlists. He had prepared one with a country theme to celebrate the barn, but was now considering that they needed something with a water theme for some reason.

__

Liam tapped on the window and let Drake know that he would meet them there, but would ride with Bastien. He was going to call ahead to let them know the King required exclusive use of the spa for his friends that evening. When they arrived, they separated to the mens and women’s sides. Riley and Hana changed out of their clothes and into the spa towels.

__

“I feel better already,” Hana sighed.

__

“That towel’s so cute on you!”

__

“It’s not a good spa trip unless you look cute doing it.”

__

“Preach it, girl.”

__

“So what are we waiting for?”

__

Riley and Hana made their way into the women’s spa room and took glasses of sparkling water offered by the attendant. They sat at the edge of the hot tub with their feet in, getting acclimated to the heat.

__

“Cheers! To a hard day of work,” Hana said, clinking her glass against Riley’s.

__

“Cheers. I suppose building a barn is very different from what you’re used to.”

__

“Different . . . but is it strange to say that I liked it? There’s something very rewarding about working with your hands . . . about being able to actually see the results of your efforts at the end of the day. So much of my life has been spent refining my skills, but building a barn was a different experience.”

__

“Hana, don’t you see how amazing you are?”

__

“Riley . . . you think too much of me.”

__

“Sorry, I’m just going to have to keep telling you how amazing you are until you believe it.”

__

“I’m terrified I’ll disappoint you.”

__

“I’m not your parents. Our friendship isn’t dependent on your accomplishments, I’m just impressed by them.”

__

Hana sighed in relaxation, “Today has been wonderful. Every day I’m at court with you, Drake, Maxwell and Liam . . . it all feels like a gift right now. It wasn’t until I thought I’d lost all of you that I realized how much this means to me. How much all of you mean to me. Especially you, Riley.”

__

“I know what you mean. Maxwell had to talk me into staying . . . twice. Both times, it was all of you that kept me here. And Hana, you’re my best friend here. I never really had a  _ best _ friend before.”

__

“And you’re mine as well, of course! Thank you for that Riley. I’ve never had a best friend before either.” Hana took a long sip of her water. “So . . . you and Drake seemed to have . . . reconnected. The way you two were ogling each other back at the barn raising.”

__

Riley blushed. “Well, he made some good points about why we can’t be together publicly right now. Mostly because it would just look bad for me.”

__

“But what about . . . not publicly?”

__

“He didn’t exactly say no to that.” Hana squealed. “But honestly . . . I don’t think he’ll fully believe I would choose him over Liam until I really do.”

__

“Have you told him that you wouldn’t choose Liam?”

__

“ _ So _ many times. He just . . . doesn’t believe it.”

__

“Well, I’m sure you’ll find a way to convince him,” Hana giggled.

__

Hana’s laugh was echoed by one on the other side of the wall.

__

“Hey, did you hear something?” Hana asked. “That sounded like Liam’s laugh.”

__

“It did!” Riley got up and walked toward a door in the corner. “Hey, it sounds like it’s coming from this door.”

__

Hana pushed the door open a crack and she and Riley peeked through. They could clearly see Liam and Drake lounging in towels in an identical room. Riley’s heart raced again at the sight of Drake’s muscular back and how his shaggy hair moved when he shook his head. She wanted to reach out and run her fingers through it.

__

“They’re right next door!” Hana said with a grin. “You know, the rooms are technically co-ed. I assumed you might want to stay separate for privacy’s sake, but we could crash the boys’ side.”

__

“We could?” Riley had never actually been to a fancy spa before, so she didn’t know the protocols.

__

“If you’re feeling daring.”

__

Well, she was certainly feeling something. “All of us are here. Why should we be separated?”

__

“That sounds like fun!”

__

“Let’s do it.”

__

The crowded next to the door, counted to three, and then burst through the door together in a fit of giggles.

__

“Surprise!” Hana called out.

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have much to say about this chapter other than I really needed Riley to chill out a bit, but she would not. We need to get to the next chapter so she can go jump in the cold plunge!
> 
> I'm going to try and keep up my twice a week schedule, but an idea for an AU fic popped into my head and is demanding to be written and that's taking a little time away from this one. Honestly, I never had any intention or desire to write any other TRR fics other than this one, but my purpose in writing is always to get the things out of my head and living somewhere else and the new story needs to get OUT of my head so I can focus on work. If I can get a decent head start on it, I may publish one a week of each story. We'll see how it goes. :-)


	30. The Game’s Afoot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang hangs out together in the spa and Drake and Riley both need to cool off a bit. Liam learns that he doesn’t know as much as the others about Riley’s life. Drake helps Riley cope at Applewood. Riley, Drake, Maxwell, and Bertrand look for clues about the photographer during another picnic.

“Maxwell, you told us about the tattoo ages ago, I hardly see the harm in seeing it,” Liam called to the other room.

“Uh . . . Bertrand made me promise you would never see it,” Maxell answered back.

“I can promise the utmost discretion,” Liam said with a laugh.

“I don’t!” Drake called back. He turned to Liam, “Wasn’t this whole spa thing  _ his  _ idea?”

“Indeed. C’mon Maxwell, we promise not to laugh.”

“I don’t think I can promise that,” Drake said to Liam, shaking his head.

“Neither can I, but don’t tell him that.”

“Maxwell, if you don’t come out, I’ll get Riley to come drag you out,” Drake shouted. He kind of wanted an excuse to crash the girls’ side and get a glimpse of Riley in just a towel.

“You wouldn’t!” Maxwell called from the other room.

All of a sudden, there was a slam from the other corner and the sound of female giggles.

“Surprise!” Hana said, as she and Riley burst through the door.

“Hey, guys!” Riley said with a smile, sauntering toward them. 

Liam was startled and his hand went to the towel at his waist. “Oh! Riley, Hana! Should we . . . er . . . cover up more?”

That was . . . different. Liam wasn’t usually self-conscious. In fact, he had been more than willing to go shirtless in front of her at the Derby, and that was only two days after meeting her. Maybe the awkwardness of trying to figure out his new relationship to Riley had thrown him off. Or maybe it was Hana. Either way, he needed to snap out of it and not make this awkward for everyone.

“I think the ladies will be fine,” Drake reassured him, allowing himself to take in more than the glimpse of Riley he had been hoping for a few minutes before. He smirked in her direction when he saw she was doing the same, biting her lip.

“Yes, I’ve seen a man in a towel before,” Hana said with a blush.

Riley laughed at that. “I was on the swim team in high school, it’s hardly a novelty.”

Liam perked up, “Really? I didn’t know that about you.”

“I know,” she said coolly.

Liam glanced at Drake, and raised an eyebrow in a question. Drake nodded, acknowledging that he had known about Riley’s swim team days. Their silent conversation seemed to confuse Liam as his brows furrowed in thought. No dude, you never bothered to get to know her.

“Wait a second . . . where’s Maxwell?” Riley said, looking down the room. “I expected him to be doing backflips into the pool.”

“He’s hiding,” Drake said, trying to suppress a smile. “And that was  _ before _ you all burst in.”

Drake crossed to the sauna door and knocked. “Come on out, Maxwell.”

“Yes. You can’t hide forever,” Liam said with a grin.

There was no response, so Drake tried again. “Riley and Hana joined us, so I really will send her in there to drag you out.”

Riley looked up, eyes sparkling in anticipation. The door opened and the steam cleared. Maxwell stepped out. Hana gasped, Riley grinned widely and Liam and Drake shook with silent laughter.

“Go ahead and laugh if you want,” Maxwell said. “Just don’t tell Bertrand you saw it.”

Finally, the famous hippo tattoo on Maxwell’s right breast was revealed for all to see! Maxwell had had it done a few years back and had never appeared shirtless in public since.

“Is that a baby hippo?” Hana asked with wide eyes.

“Maxwell, that tattoo is the best thing I’ve ever seen,” Riley said in delight. Of course she would like it. 

“Really? You like it?”

“Love. I  _ love _ it.” Oh geez, now she was encouraging him.

“Now I wish I’d shown you sooner!”

“Would I be correct in guessing that there’s a story of some sort behind this?” Hana said.

“Kinda . . . When I was a kid, my mom would call me her little hippo.”

Riley interrupted. “I didn’t think it was possible for this moment to get better, but here we are.” Her eyes sparkled with amusement and met Drake’s for a moment before turning her attention back to Maxwell.

Maxwell was growing bolder in his storytelling, “I was kind of chubby when I was younger, before I got into dancing. My dad was really hard on me about it, but my mom never made me feel bad. She was really smart and funny. She said I was just like a hippo . . . fun-loving, but tough and always able to make her smile. She made them sound really cool and amazing.”

Drake didn’t remember much about Annabelle Beaumont, she didn’t come to court as often as Duke Barthelemy had, but she had always been kind to him and never treated him like he was unworthy of being her son’s friend. 

“Anyway, I wanted to do something to commemorate her. A few years ago, I told Bertrand I was going to get something done. I guess he thought I meant like have some artwork commissioned . . .”

“To be fair,” Riley interjected, “you did have some artwork commissioned.”

Maxwell was smiling broadly now, “He was pretty surprised when he saw this guy.”

“I can imagine.”

Hana looked thoughtfully at Maxwell, “I suppose it doesn’t particularly fit with the image of House Beaumont that Bertrand’s striving to maintain.”

“Yeah, this was more or less his second to worst nightmare. Or so he keeps telling me anyway. So he said that if we’re ever around the nobility or servants, I had to keep it covered up. But . . .I can trust you, right?” He looked between the four of them. Everyone was smiling.

Hana was the first to speak up. “Of course! On my honor.”

Riley grinned at Maxwell. “I want a matching one!”

“How awesome would  _ that _ be?” Maxwell said excitedly. Uh, she can’t actually be serious about this.

“The most awesome. I mean, I might not go for a hippo . . . but actually, something to remember my mom, I could do that.”

Drake had been watching Liam from the corner of his eye to gauge his reaction. Liam had seemed to register shock when Riley mentioned her mom, and then he frowned in thought again. Had she really not told him about that? He knew she complained that Liam didn’t try to get to know her, but Drake assumed that she had at least told him some of the basics. He couldn’t remember  _ not _ knowing about her mom. Surely she had said something when she found out about Liam’s mom . . . Maxwell obviously knew and Hana didn’t look surprised.

Maxwell’s excited smile softened into an empathetic one. “Maybe one day when this is all over, I can take you to the shop I went to.”

“Count me in.”

For a moment, Drake wondered if Riley’s future matching tattoo would be in the same place as Maxwell’s, which prompted his imagination to kick into gear and other parts of his body responded. With a quick look around the room on where he could escape to, the cold pool at the other end of the room caught his attention.

“As fun as discussing Maxwell’s hippo tattoo has been, I’m going to take a dip in the cold plunge . . . Anyone want to join?”

“No thanks,” Liam said, sinking into the steaming hot tub. “After today, I’m relaxing in the tub.” Liam’s eyes flicked up toward Riley and she blushed.

Drake turned on his heel and walked as quickly as he could without seeming to run away from them. It was pretty clear what she wanted to do and the whole point of going to the cold plunge was to not get himself all worked up. Working next to her all day had been hard enough. He stood at the edge ready to jump.

Drake had so wrapped up in his thoughts, he hadn’t heard Riley following him or coming up behind him, so it startled him when she said, “Trying to summon your courage?” 

He recovered quickly, “This is supposed to be good for you.”

“Oh?” She asked, stepping all too close to him.

“Yeah. Like most things in life, the best thing is sometimes the most painful. Want to do it with me?”

“I’m in!” She smiled happily at him and slipped her hand into his.

“Really?” 

“Can’t let you do it alone,” she answered, tightening her grip on his hand.

“Never can resist a challenge, can you?”

“Neither can you.” He shifted his hand to interlace their fingers and they stepped up right to the edge. “Here goes . . .”

“One. . . Two . . .”

“Three!” She cheered, pulling him in with her.

Cold, cold, cold, cold. It felt like a thousand of Olivia’s knives were stabbing him simultaneously. On the other hand, his other, potentially embarrassing problem was solved. Drake pushed up toward the surface and gasped for air. Riley came up right next to him.

“That was . . .”

“Intense?” he finished for her.

“That’s one word for it,” she said, swimming closer to him, he assumed for more body heat. They made their way back to the side.

“Having trouble keeping up with me, Brooks?”

“Me? Never?” As if proving a point, she swam past him and climbed out of the pool.

He chuckled as he hefted himself out of the water and joined her at the towel station off to the side. He held out a fresh towel and wrapped it around her. She let the wet one drop as she secured the new one. He replaced his own towel and turned back to Riley, who was still shivering. Looking back at their friends, it seemed everyone was preoccupied and this area was slightly out of their sightlines. He smiled at Riley and ran his hands up and down her arms to warm them.

“Thanks,” she said. After a moment, she grabbed one of his hands and pulled him down toward her, kissing him soundly. So much for cooling things off between them.

“Whoa,” he sighed when she pulled away. Her blue eyes searched his, sparkling with a mix of joy and playfulness. He couldn’t believe she looked at him like that. Why should she when she could be cuddling up to Liam in the hot tub. He couldn’t resist smiling back and going back in for another kiss. He slid his tongue against her lips, which instantly parted for him. God, she was too good to be true! Unfortunately, their little stolen moment couldn’t last for too long. He smiled against her mouth and pulled away.

“You’re full of surprises,” he said in a low voice.

“Good ones, I hope?”

“You know, you can surprise me like that _ any _ day . . . But right now, we should probably . . .”

“Be sensible and discreet?” she finished for him with a sigh.

He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her up against him. “Unfortunately. And believe me when I say that it’s  _ very _ unfortunate.” She groaned, but nodded in agreement. Without letting her go, he shook out his hair, spraying her with water.

“Drake!” She squealed and pushed him away, but her eyes sparkled and begged him to follow her. “I guess we should check out the rest of the spa.”

“Hey everyone! Watch this!” Maxwell was shouting. It seemed their private moment was over and they walked back toward the rest of the group. Maxwell was now standing backwards on one of the chairs.

“Is that safe?” Hana asked Liam.

“Almost certainly not,” Maxwell answered with a wink in Hana’s direction. Still, he jumped, flipping himself backwards and landing feet first with a splash.

“I’m next!” Riley called out. 

Drake shook his head. “You know not everything is a personal challenge, right Brooks?”

But she ignored him and stepped up on the chair as Maxwell held it steady for her.

“Be careful . . .” warned Hana. Liam looked worried.

“I’ve got this!” Riley assured her. Riley jumped, tucking in her knees and completing the backflip with a splash. When she surfaced, Drake just shook his head.

“Okay, that was impressive.” He wondered if she would ever stop impressing him, but he doubted it.

“Very well done, Lady Riley,” Liam said, nodding.

Maxwell grinned. “Looks like I’ve finally met my match,” Maxwell said with an elaborate bow.

“Or your almost twin,” Riley said with a smile.

Just then, the chime sounded, letting them know it was closing time.

Liam’s shoulders fell. “It looks like our time here is at an end.”

They all started making their way away from the pools.

“This has been so fun,” Hana said. “I’m so glad we did this.”

“Yeah.” Drake agreed. “This wasn’t so bad, as far as our capers go.” He gave a sideways glance at Riley.

“Highest of praise from Drake,” Liam said with a hand on Drake’s shoulder. A fresh wave of guilt washed over him. Yet, that guilt was now mixed with a stubborn feeling that he deserved a chance at happiness too.

Riley looked around at her friends with a smile, lingering a bit longer on Drake than the others. “I’m glad we got to do this, too.”

After changing back into their clothes, which had been thankfully freshly washed, apparently as a service to the crown, they all piled back into the limo, except for Liam. While Maxwell was distracted with finding the perfect post-spa playlist, Riley leaned over to Drake and whispered in his ear.

“Hey, can you come by my room later? There’ll be whiskey. . .”

He wasn’t sure it was the best idea. He knew they were walking a fine line, and after all the sexual tension of the day, things could easily get out of hand, but it was getting a lot harder to resist her. He was feeling less and less guilty now that Liam was engaged, but he really didn’t want to get Riley into an even bigger mess.

“For a bit. . .” he answered, and he was rewarded with a bright smile and quick peck on the cheek. Drake glanced quickly back at Maxwell and Hana, but they appeared not to have noticed.

When they arrived back at Applewood, Drake hung back and let Maxwell walk back with Riley. They were discussing backflip techniques and how they had each learned. When they turned the corner toward their corridor, Drake heard Bertrand’s voice as they entered Riley’s room and he was even more grateful to have stayed back. He continued on to his own room and waited to hear the Duke leave. About ten minutes later, he heard the door close and Bertrand and Maxwell arguing in the hallway as they made their way to their room. A minute later there was a knock on the wall he shared with Riley’s room.

Drake bolted up and checked the hallway. All clear he ducked out and knocked on her door. She answered it with a glass of whiskey in hand, offering it to him. That right there might be the hottest thing she’d ever done. He groaned internally as it took every bit of restraint he had not to throw her on the bed. How the hell had he met a woman like this? And why did she give him the time of day?

“Are you trying to seduce me, Brooks?” he asked, taking the glass from her.

Riley gave him a throaty laugh, “That depends. Is it working?”

She turned around and walked into the room, tossing a sultry look back in his direction. Oh yeah, it was working.

His heart fluttered and he walked into her room, shutting the door behind him. He took a seat in the chair while she plopped down cross legged on the bed with her own glass of whiskey. He realized it was the same chair he had sat in while she had iced his bruises and he had told her about how he felt about her, at least partially. If it evoked that strong of a memory from him, he wondered what being in here all alone was like for her.

“Well, good to know you can hear me knock through the wall. They aren’t exactly paper thin like my apartment in New York.”

“Heh. Good enough. Was Bertrand giving you a hard time?”

“A bit, for coming back so late. He had a good idea though, to try and figure out where the photograph was taken from. It might give us a clue of some sort.” She sighed, looking back at the window.

“You don’t like being in here, do you?”

Riley shook her head. “I had the worst nightmares last night, I barely slept.”

His heart ached for her. “Anything I can do to help?” Drake wasn’t great at talking about deep stuff, but he could at least listen. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked.

Riley looked away. “No, but . . . can you stay with me awhile? I know you can’t sleep here . . . but just, hold me?”

At that moment, he could honestly say there was nothing he wanted more. Refilling his whiskey he took a spot next to her on the bed and she curled up against him, tucked under his arm. He marveled at how right it felt, as if it was something they’d done a thousand times on a thousand different nights.

“Tell me about your trip to Texas,” she said. “How was it with your mom?”

“It was . . . helpful. In more ways than one.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I went because I needed to get away from court and my usual camping trip wasn’t going to cut it. I needed a chance to think about what I want to do when this is all wrapped up.”

Riley looked at him quizzically. “Like what?”

“You know how I told you back in Ramsford that I wasn’t sure about my place here anymore?” She nodded solemnly. “I feel like I’ve been living off Liam’s generosity without accomplishing anything for too long. I mean, it’s time to be a real adult, you know, especially if . . .” 

He trailed off. What he wanted to say was something along the lines of, ‘especially if things work out with us and we decided to get married and start a life away from the palace and court and all the nobles,’ but that all seemed like a distant dream that he didn’t want to burden her with. 

He shook his head. “I just need to be able to stand on my own, you know.”

“I get that. So, how did going to your mom’s help with that?”

“Well, helping her on the ranch for a few days was really nice. It made me realize that I wouldn’t be happy with a desk job or something like that.”

Riley laughed.

“What?”

“Oh, it’s just . . . you needed to go to another country to figure that out? I could have told you that.”

“Okay, fair point, but you know, I was just considering options, and I came up with a few. I think I needed to be doing some actual work to figure what those options are.”

“Feel like running them by me?”

Drake gave her a long look. “Not yet. I just want to get through this stage first. Get your name cleared, see what happens after that.”

“I guess all our lives are on hold until then.”

“Yeah.” Drake noticed Riley looking anxiously around the room. “Hey. We’re going to figure this out, you know.”

She inhaled deeply and pulled herself in, even closer to Drake. He rested his head on the top of hers. The usual soft floral scent of her shampoo was gone, likely washed away in the pool, but it was still soft as silk. He felt utterly content just being there with her, it was almost as good as his dream.

“Drake? What if we don’t? What if we never find out who did this?”

“Let’s not deal in hypotheticals. Just focus on the next move.”

“Okay. So, you weren’t done with your Texas story. How was it being with your mom?”

“Er, a bit strange really. I hadn’t seen her in nine years and we haven’t even talked much in the last several years. The last time I talked to her at all was when Savannah disappeared and really I only called to see if Savannah was there. So, there was definitely some awkwardness there. It was like staying with a stranger. Or, I guess more like a distant relative you haven’t seen since childhood.”

“I imagine. It was always like that with my dad.”

“So you get it. It wasn’t like we had any deep conversations, but we agreed that we can’t change the past and maybe we can let some of it go. I’m still angry that she just . . . left us here. But maybe less than I used to be? I mean, she’s not that person anymore and I’m not a kid anymore.”

“I’d say that’s progress.”

“Yeah, maybe it is. At least she seemed glad to have me there for a little while.”

“I wish my conversation with my dad had gone as well as that.”

“You talked to him?”

“Oh, yeah. He called me a couple days after the Coronation Ball. After not speaking to me for two years,  _ that’s _ what got his attention.”

“He saw the articles?”

“Apparently so. I guess it made the American news as well.”

Drake flushed in anger, remembering what his mom had said about Riley on the ride from the airport. Of course, his mom didn’t know her and didn’t know how Drake felt about her.

“Yeah, I . . . heard that too. I take it the conversation didn’t go well.”

“It did not. He was upset that I’m still whoring around this god-forsaken country, ruining his good name.”

Anger and sadness washed over him. His first thought was that he wanted to kill the sonofabitch for daring to speak to her that way. Especially when he was never there for Riley. Then a wave of sadness for her crashed over him. He might not see eye to eye with his mother, but he couldn’t imagine a parent saying such awful things to their child, especially if that child was as amazing as Riley.

He tightened his arm around her and hoped he never had to meet her father. “I’m . . . I’m sorry, Brooks. You didn’t deserve that.”

Riley yawned and smiled up at him. “I should let you sleep,” he said, starting to move. But she held on.

“Stay? I really don’t want to be in here alone.”

“Brooks . . .” Drake hesitated again. He didn’t want to leave her alone and scared, but he really shouldn’t risk falling asleep in her room. In the end, making her feel safe won out.

“I’ll stay until you fall asleep . . .”

“Okay,” she said with another yawn. “Looks like that won’t be very long. Let’s watch a movie.”

Riley got up to find her tablet and pick a movie and decided on a series about a haunted house.

“Sure you want a scary movie? That probably will create more nightmares than it will stop.”

“Nah. I love scary movies, and ghosts aren’t what’s been haunting my dreams.”

“Sure you don’t want to talk about it?”

“Very.” 

Well, that was that. Riley set up the tablet then cuddled up next to Drake. Ten minutes in, she was sleeping soundly in his arms. He thought fondly back to the last time they had watched a movie together. It had been right here, in the same room, but he had been so afraid to get too close, thinking Riley didn’t feel the same way he did. Now he knew she did, but he was still afraid to get too close. She still had a chance to be queen and she deserved it so much more than Madeleine. So why was she constantly saying she didn’t want it? It was only a matter of time before she came to her senses and realized that the life she could have with him was nothing compared to the life she could have with Liam.

Drake sighed. There was no use going down that spiral again. Until her name was cleared and she could make a clear choice, he was willing to accept whatever she offered. He turned off the movie and gently shifted Riley off his arm and tucked her in, kissing her forehead. Whatever the future brought, tonight, she chose him, and that made him the luckiest man in the world. After a quick check of the windows and doors, Drake slipped back to his room.

**************************

The next morning, Drake woke up to a text from Liam.

_ Liam: Madeleine will be having breakfast with Regina and Adelaide this morning. I’m free if you’ll join me. _

_ Drake: Definitely. _

Drake found Liam in the garden, already with a spread of food in front of him.

“So, am I now deemed worthy enough to dine with kings?”

“You know that’s none of my doing, right?”

Drake just shrugged. “I know.”

“I know why I made the choices that I did, but it gets a little harder every day to pretend that everything is great.”

“Ask me, Leo had the right idea.”

Liam sighed deeply. “I love my brother, but I am starting to feel a little . . . resentful.”

“I don’t blame you. I told him this was all his fault and that he’s a coward.”

“While some of that may be true, I don’t think Leo would have the patience for all these trade negotiations and making alliances. There are other reasons that it’s better this way, that I’m not at liberty to share at the moment, but suffice to say that Leo being in charge would be dangerous for all of us.”

Drake nodded and continued eating in thought. Their lives would be so different right now if Leo hadn’t abdicated.

“I wanted to ask you something.”

Drake looked up. “Okay?”

“You knew Riley’s mom died?” Drake groaned inside. It was getting extremely difficult to talk to Liam about Riley. Not only was he conflicted about giving Liam any sort of advice about her, he also didn’t want to slip up and say something he shouldn’t.

“Yes.”

“So did Maxwell and Lady Hana?”

“I assume so since they didn’t react, but I wasn’t around when she told them.”

Liam nodded. “She never said anything about that to me . . .”

“If you’re asking me why she didn’t tell you . . . I don’t know. I was honestly surprised to see your reaction. I figured it must have come up at some point, especially since she knew about your mom. But I can’t answer for her on that.”

“No. . . I don’t suppose you could. I guess I’m just jealous that the three of you seem to know so much more about her than I do. I spoke with her the other day, when she returned to court and she asked me to tell her one thing I knew about her family. I realized then that I didn’t know anything at all. I guess that makes sense now.”

“I’ve told you a dozen times Liam, just try being her friend. What do you usually talk about with her?”

Liam thought for a minute. “I . . . don’t know. Things about the court, stories about Cordonia. I told her about Leo’s mom and mine at the Masquerade Ball, and there was the time I told her about how Olivia came to live at the palace with us. Honestly, I haven’t had many one on one conversations with her. Our time was always very limited during the social season. The last time we spent any real time together was when I took her to Forgotten Falls.”

Drake already knew that of course, but he didn’t want to let on that he and Riley had already talked about that. “What about at the Beaumont Estate? I thought you were going to go on a date?”

Liam sighed again. “She said she was too tired and that she’d had a long day.”

Of course, Drake already knew that too. He also knew the reason for the long day and that it didn’t stop her from meeting him in the vineyard under the stars later that night. And even though that night did not go as well as he’d wished, it was still better than it went for Liam.

“Like I said, I can’t really answer for her. You need to be asking  _ her _ about these things.”

“That’s if she’ll even talk to me. I get the impression she’s still angry.”

Drake just shrugged. “She never stays mad long.”

*************************

Drake made his way out to the picnic. Great, more tiny sandwiches and lemonade. Who were these parties even for? Rabbits? A quick glance around the lawn and he located Liam talking with his parents and Adelaide. Maxwell looked like he was being scolded by Bertrand and the girls were . . . over there with Madeleine. Yeesh! That looked unpleasant. Madeleine still had the same smug look on her face she’d been wearing for weeks now and all the ladies looked miserable, even Kiara, who usually kept up a decent poker face.

With no one to check in with, Drake piled a few sandwiches on a plate and found a seat in a corner table. Drake sat back and watched his friends from a distance. Madeleine walked over to Liam, claiming his arm. They collected a couple of noblemen and made their way back to where the ladies were gathered. Drake didn’t know either of the noblemen personally, but recognized them from various events of the past. He remembered that the one in the blazer was particularly obnoxious in his attempts to lord his title over everyone.

A moment later, Maxwell grabbed the seat next to Drake.

“Hey! I hope you brought your cape and pipe?”

“Maxwell, what are you talking about?”

“You know . . . like Sherlock Holmes. . . we have a mystery to solve.”

“I’m aware of that. Is there a plan or are we hoping to find clues in the lemonade?”

“There’s a plan, one that I’m quite proud of actually. Bertrand is going to go to Riley’s room and pretend to be Riley, or Tariq, or both? I don’t know, but he’s going to pose in Riley’s room. Hana is going to dump a tray of food on someone and make a big scene so that you and Riley can sneak past the security guards. I was pushing for an epic dance battle between Hana and Madeleine, but Riley said that probably wouldn’t work because queen killjoy over there probably wouldn’t go along with it. We’re going to try to figure out where the photos were taken from.”

“Got it.”

“I’m going to get Bertrand and grab an appetizer before Hana dumps them on someone. I hope it’s Madeleine . . .”

Maxwell ran off and Drake found Riley. He leaned in next to her. “Hey Brooks, Maxwell filled me in on the, er, plan. This might be a good time to sneak away.”

“Oh! Right!” Hana said. “I’ll . . . be right back. I just remembered something I really must speak to Madeleine about.”

Hana walked away. Kiara turned to Drake and smiled softly. “Drake, I’m surprised to see  _ you _ here.”

Drake was somewhat startled by Kiara addressing him. She’d never started a conversation with him before. “Me, too. But I try to support Liam when I can.” And that was the truth . . . sort of.

Kiara’s smile widened and she stepped closer to him. “You’ve always been such a good friend to him. It’s part of why I always liked you. It’s such a shame what happened to your sister.”

“Wait, you’ve always liked Drake?” Riley interrupted. “Could have fooled me.” Riley was staring daggers at Kiara.

“Not all of us wear our hearts on our sleeves,” Kiara responded politely. Riley’s eyes narrowed further, but Drake was intrigued by her comments about Savannah. They had always been friendly, but he didn’t know Kiara cared that she was gone.

“Back up a second . . . I didn’t know that you and Savannah spent time together.”

“Not much, really. It’s just that she was so friendly. And she was coming along so well in her French lessons, and I was supri -”

“French lessons? Savannah didn’t speak French.”

“I was teaching her before --”

There was a huge crash and everyone spun to see a tray full of chicken curry on the ground with Madeleine looking angry and Hana apologizing. Drake knew this is when they should go, but he just wanted to ask Kiara what she knew about Savannah real quick . . .

“ _ Psst. Drake, that’s our cue. _ ” Riley whispered, tugging on his arm.

“ _ Wait! I need to talk to Kia - _ ”

“ _ There’s no time, we have to go while no one is looking! _ ”

Riley pulled him instantly away from the crowd forming and toward the manor. Drake was frustrated, but also realized they were short on time. Kiara would still be there later. A security guard was approaching them, but Riley turned and pulled him in for a kiss. She pulled back and giggled uncharacteristically, playfully pulling him toward the manor. The security guard shook his head and kept walking.

As soon as the security guy passed, she dropped the giggly act, and slipped her hand into Drake’s normally. “That was close.”

“What was that about?”

“Getting past the security guard. I figured he wouldn’t be suspicious of a couple sneaking out of the party for some alone time.”

“Quite the actress aren’t you?”

“Well, it’s not far of a stretch. And the kissing wasn’t an act. I just wanted to.”

“Pretty sure I said you can surprise me like that any time.” In response, Riley pulled him back into another, more passionate kiss. Reluctantly he let her go and they continued their walk up to the manor.

“Sorry, I had to pull you away from Kiara,” she said, somewhat hesitantly.

Drake sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Yeah, I get it. I just . . . that’s the first new thing I’ve learned in ages. Maybe Kiara knows something else I didn’t.”

“Don’t you think she would have said something by now if she had?”

“Maybe . . . it’s not like she’s ever really talked to me before.”

“So she hasn’t  _ always _ liked you.”

“Brooks, I don’t know what the hell she was talking about.”

“Well, she obviously likes you now.”

“Pffft.”

They reached the house and the gardens in front of Riley’s window. Maxwell was waiting there, munching on a skewer of chicken curry.

“Where’s Bertrand?” Riley asked.

“I sent him up to your room to stand in for you. I relayed everything that happened, so he’ll know where to go.”

“Bertrand is going to stand in for me?”

“Little known fact, before he was Duke of Ramsford, Bertrand was an accomplished human statue.”

“What?”

“Kidding! But he will do almost anything to clear your name.”

“Alright Brooks,” Drake interrupted, “where do you think we should start?”

“We should try to line up the shot.”

Drake pulled out his phone and opened the camera. He tried to aim it at Riley’s window, snapping a photo. Maxwell took out his own phone and pulled up the picture of Riley and Tariq, handing it to Drake.

Maxwell looked up at the window. “Looks like Bertrand is ready.”

“This angle doesn’t look right. I think we’d have to be standing over there to get the right view,” Drake said, pointing slightly to their right, near a tree and some bushes. The three of them moved to the new spot. Riley froze in horror.

“I can see right into my bedroom from here! Drake, hand me the camera.” Riley took the phone and held it up at different angles trying to match the shot. “Too low. Even someone seven feet tall couldn’t have taken this.”

Drake looked up. “They must have climbed the tree!”

“I guess that means I’m climbing a tree . . .” Riley said and made her way over to the tall tree in the middle of the bushes. She grabbed for the lowest branch and hoisted herself up.

“Uh, Brooks, one of us could do that. . . you’re in a dress . . . and you’ll probably drop my phone.” 

“I got it,” she called back down. Just then the bark fell off and Riley lost her grip. And yet, she reached up and grabbed the branch again, swinging herself up higher into the tree. “See?”

“Go Spider-Riley!” Maxwell cheered.

A moment later, Riley called back down, “It’s a perfect match!” Then, more seriously, “This is really close to the Manor.”

Drake had noticed that too. “Whoever did it must have been  _ at _ the party.”

“More than that, it means whoever did it must have been waiting around for the right shot. I mean . . .I’m literally up a tree. Whoever took those pictures wasn’t just standing around and happened to see . . . they were waiting.”

“They knew Tariq would be in your room, which means it was definitely a set up and the photographer was in on it. And whoever hired the photographer must have known the manor pretty well to know about the view from this spot.”

“Didn’t someone say that a reporter snuck into the party that night?”

“Yeah,” Maxwell said. “A bold move, considering it was a private event . . .”

Drake nodded. “We need to confirm if the reporter you saw is the same one who climbed the tree and took the photo.”

“Right,” Maxwell agreed. “Now I’ll go get Bertrand and meet you back here.”

“Can’t you just text him?” Riley asked.

Maxwell looked between Riley and Drake for a moment. “Think, Riley! What if they’re monitoring the airwaves?” Without another word, Maxwell ran off. Yeah, he definitely knew something was going on between Drake and Riley. Interestingly enough, he didn’t seem entirely opposed to the idea if he was giving them time to be alone. Riley hadn’t moved though.

“You coming down, Brooks?”

“Yeah, just thinking about how you came to my rescue that night.”

“I think I remember you coming to  _ my _ rescue,” Drake said with a smile. Even though the whole event had been terrible, there were some good things to come out of that night.

“Maybe a little,” Riley said. “Drake, I . . . I just wanted to say thank you.”

“It was nothing, Brooks. Really.”

“It wasn’t nothing. Not to me.”

“Well . . . uh . . . get down from there, before you hurt yourself.”

“It’s just a tree, I’m fine!” Riley started to make her way down, but paused. “Huh.”

“What is it?”

“I’m not sure, I’m bringing it down.” She looked down to where Drake was waiting at the bottom of the tree. “Catch me!” She leapt down from the lower branches and Drake caught her easily.

“You know, some time, I’m just going to let you fall.”

Riley grinned at him, “I don’t think so.”

He set her down on the grass gently and she returned his phone. Moments later Maxwell and Bertrand joined them.

Riley examined the object she’d found in the tree. It appeared to be some sort of lanyard. “I might have found something. Look.”

“Mansingh?” Drake read from the tag.

Maxwell’s eyes lit up with excitement and he started bobbing up and down. “It’s the company they used for security at the party. Super high-tech. Turn it over!”

The other side of the badge was covered in dirt, but Maxwell grabbed it and scrubbed at it with his sleeve.

Bertrand bristled. “Maxwell, you’re making a mess. What would father say?”

Ouch. Drake had never cared for Barthelemy Beaumont, the former Duke of Ramsford. If Bertrand was bad about droning on about the glory of House Beaumont, his father had been ten times worse and in his memories, downright cruel to Maxwell.

“The great Barthelemy Beaumont always had a lot to say about me.”

“In this case, I think he’d at least be pleased that we’re making progress towards clearing the house name,” Riley suggested.

“Perhaps,” Bertrand said flatly.

The other side of the badge was a photograph of a woman.

“That must be the reporter! How did she get her hands on a Mansingh security badge?” Bertrand exclaimed.

Riley frowned in anger, looking first at the Manor and then out toward the lawn where the court was gathered. “She must have had help from the inside. Someone who could get her security clearance to a private party.”

“Probably whoever hired her,” Drake agreed. He too looked toward where the court was enjoying their tiny sandwiches and lemonade, furious that one or more of them would do something like this. “This badge must’ve given her access to the grounds, but when she was spotted taking pictures at a closed event . . .”

“Her ruse was uncovered and she was ejected,” Bertrand finished for him.

“She could’ve lost the badge in the branches here, or tried to toss it away so no one knew how deep the conspiracy ran. Does it say who she is?” Drake continued.

Riley checked both sides again. “There’s something written beneath her picture, but it’s damaged. I can’t read it.”

“But at least we have a real clue. We’ll investigate further. Good work . . . WIth the picnic ending, we should get packed for our departure on the engagement tour tomorrow.”

Bertrand and Maxwell started toward the Manor. Riley started to follow, but a thought had occurred to Drake and he grabbed her hand. She turned to him with a smile.

“Wait, do you have a minute? I just thought of something important.”

Riley stepped closer and looked up at him seductively, lacing her fingers through his. Damn it was hard to concentrate when she looked at him like that. 

“Something important? Like kissing me again.”

“Yeah . . .I mean, always, . . . but not this time. It was actually about the pictures.”

“What is it?”

“I was just thinking, Brooks . . . this isn’t the first set of photos someone has tried to turn against you.”

“You mean the ones from the bachelor party? The ones you and Bastien kept from going to print?”

“Yeah. I don’t think it’s a coincidence either.”

“Did you ever find out who did it?” 

“I have hunches, but nothing conclusive.” It had to be Tariq. That was the only thing that made sense.

As if reading his mind, Riley added. “A maid from the manor revealed that a disguised noble lady told her to pull a prank on Tariq the night the pictures were taken.”

She seemed convinced that Tariq was a victim in the conspiracy, just like she was, but if the two incidents were connected, it couldn’t be Maxwell. He had too much to lose by discrediting Riley.

“There might be a connection between the noble lady, the bachelor photos, and this photographer. Either way, this conspiracy goes deeper than we thought. Just . . . be careful, Brooks.”

“I’m always careful.”

“I beg to differ.”

“Well, that’s what you’re there for. The times I’m not careful.”

“You’re trouble.”

She grinned at him, her eyes dancing in delight. “Having a hard time keeping up with me?”

“Never,” he said, grinning back at her. She wrapped her arms around his waist and with a quick check to make sure no one was around, he gave in to the embrace, enjoying the closeness.

*******************

Later that night, Drake typed out a goodnight message to Riley, but before he could hit send, there was a knock on his door. When he opened it, Riley stood there, wearing a light tank top and  _ very _ small shorts, and last night’s unfinished bottle of whiskey in hand. 

“I really don’t want to sleep in that room again,” she explained, as if he had asked the question. He opened the door wider and let her in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is about half canon and half my own construction of the time surrounding the second day in Applewood. I lean pretty heavily into Riley being uncomfortable being in her room in Applewood. Personally, I’m extremely sensitive to locations and find that they evoke strong emotional reactions. I don’t know if this is normal or something weird about my brain, but it’s a trait I gave to Riley as well.
> 
> About Liam. I’m trying to be nicer to him. I really am. Yet, every time I start letting Riley have a little sympathy toward him, he goes and says something that ticks me off and I just can’t. Hopefully, giving him a chance to work out some of this with Drake instead Riley telling him off again worked for this particular chapter.
> 
> Questions I still have for PB:  
> 1) why do they need to create a distraction to go back to the manor? Are they not allowed to be there? Why didn’t Bertrand need to create a distraction?  
> 2)Why do Penelope and Hana have to find suitors to stay at court, but Kiara and Riley don’t? I mean, I know Madeleine plans for Riley to be Liam’s mistress, but isn’t she supposed to at least keep up appearances?  
> 3)Why would Drake be carrying around a regular camera? Obviously I had him just use his phone, but every time I read this chapter I’m just baffled by this fact.


	31. The Italian Adventure Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riley prepares for a dinner where she has to charm the press, impress an important politician, confront a friend, and chase down the photographer. Riley meets with Liam to try to be his friend.

It had been a very long day on the train and Riley had slept through a good portion of it once she settled into her compartment on the train car. Checking her phone, she realized that it was well into the afternoon. More than anything, she was thankful to be away from her room at Applewood Manor.

Yesterday had been exhausting and between trying to talk Hana up to a couple boring noblemen, searching for clues in trees, learning about flowers and Italian with Hana, and Liam’s unexpected visit to check on her, she’d about had it. Then there was the mysterious note left under her door.

_ “If you want to root out your enemies, meet me in the boutique car of the train tomorrow at 5 pm on the dot. Alone. -O” _

Riley had thought and thought about who could be O. The only person that came to mind was Olivia, but she wasn’t on the tour. After packing and trying to solve the mystery of the note, she knew she wasn’t going to get to sleep any time soon. She’d thought about texting Drake to come back and watch movies with her again, but remembered that they agreed not to contact each other by text other than to say goodnight. It was late and she hadn’t gotten a goodnight text yet, so she had decided to take a chance that he was still up. Whiskey in hand, she’d gone to his room. Someday she’d have to thank Liam for arranging their rooms next door to each other. Or maybe that would be cruel.

They’d stayed up most of the night talking and drinking, which had turned into cuddling while talking, which had turned into kissing, which had turned into maybe an hour of sleeping in each other's arms before Drake woke her back up so she could sneak back into her own room.

Riley sighed contentedly at the memory. As much as Drake maintained that they couldn’t be together and would have to wait until her name was cleared, they felt pretty. . . together now. They were already closer than she’d ever been to her previous boyfriends and she didn’t ever make-out with guys she was just friends with every chance she got.

In truth, she couldn’t really understand why it was still such a big deal to keep it a secret. All the other ladies were being pushed hard to find actual husbands. It was just Riley that was supposed to stay single, but not available. Liam was engaged and Riley was not. Shouldn’t she be free to be in a relationship with whoever she wanted at this point?

Now that she’d had some actual sleep, she went off to find Maxwell to make a plan. She found him in one of the passenger cars, practicing dance moves in the open space between seats.

“Hey Riley! You know, dancing on a moving train isn’t as easy as I thought it would be.”

“Really? You make it look pretty easy.”

“That’s because I’m a master. . . watch this!” He did a series of complicated moves that involved switching back and forth between his hands and feet.”

“Impressive as always, Dance Master Maxwell.”

“Ooooo, I like that title. Maybe I’ll use it on my Christmas cards this year!”

“Well, I’m glad I found you. I was too tired this morning to tell you, but I need to show you something.”

“Have you been sleeping all day?”

“Yeah . . . a fifteen hours train ride seemed a good time to catch up on all the sleep I didn’t get at Applewood.”

Maxwell gave her a funny look, but seemed to shrug it off. “Yeah, I guess it’s as good a time as any. Whatcha got?”

“I got this note last night.”

A worried look passed over Maxwell’s features as she handed him the note. “Another note. That’s not concerning at all. . .” He took a moment to read and then looked up with a confused look.

“Any idea who sent it?”

“Not really, but it doesn’t seem threatening.”

“Not as threatening as the last anonymous letter you got . . . but it could still be a trap. We better get Bertrand.”

“Do we have to?” Riley asked.

Maxwell sighed. “Yes. He told me to let him know about everything we find related to the investigation. He seems to think I’ll screw something up.”

“But we’re super sleuths. How can we screw it up?”

“I’m sure I’ll find a way . . .”

“Maxwell, at some point, Bertrand is going to have to let you do things your way.”

“I appreciate the vote of confidence Riley, but he’s probably right.”

Maxwell shot off a text to Bertrand. A moment later, he confirmed Bertrand was coming to find them.

“Sooooo,” Maxwell started. “Didn’t sleep much at Applewood?”

“Not really.”

“Huh.”

Riley sighed. “What are you getting at Maxwell?”

“Nothing. Drake’s been sleeping all day too. Must have been all that investigating yesterday.”

Riley was about to snap something about it not being his business, but Bertrand came into the train car.

“What’s this about another note? Why wasn’t I informed right away?”

Riley smiled at Bertrand in the most charming way she knew how, “Don’t worry Bertrand, it’s not a threat, more like an offer of help. Here.”

Bertrand read the note. “Hmmmm. It  _ seems _ to be an offer of help, but it could be designed to lower your defenses. Why would you need to come alone if it isn’t a threat?”

Riley shrugged. 

“Well,” Bertrand continued. “It’s already nearly five o’clock. I believe you should go . . . in case it is a sincere offer.”

“But we can’t let her go alone!” Maxwell protested.

“Of course not,” Bertrand snapped. 

“The letter said to meet in the boutique, right?” Maxwell asked.

“And to come alone. We don’t want to scare the person off by all of us charging in there.”

“If it is a genuine offer of help, we could desperately use it. We’ll stay outside and if anything’s amiss, shout for us.”

“And we’ll bust in there, fists blazing,” added Maxwell.”

“Thanks . . .” Riley said. “Alright, let’s go.”

They made their way through the train to the boutique car, trying to act casual and not draw attention. When they reached their destination, Maxwell held up his fists as a reminder, but Riley just gave him a fist bump and slipped into the boutique. 

“Hello? I’m here. . .”

One of the dressing room door handles clicked and the door opened slowly. Olivia stepped out.

“I should’ve known it’d be too much to ask for you to arrive promptly, Riley.”

“Olivia! I missed you!”

Olivia seemed flustered and highly affronted. “I highly doubt that.”

“I did! Can I hug you?”

“No,” she answered flatly.

“I didn’t think you’d return to court after your blackmailing.”

“I’m not one to let something like that go. Since the Coronation, I’ve been laying low and conducting my own investigation into the mysterious blackmailer. I called you here because the time has come for us to work together and share our information.”

“Information? We’re a conspiracy-busting tag team!” Riley said happily. She admired Olivia’s no bullshit attitude. Once you get past the bitchy, ice queen act, she was actually a pretty cool person and Riley hoped that now they were not ‘competing’ for Liam, they could actually be friends.

“Don’t get too excited,” Olvia said, but Riley could see a small smile threatening to break through.

“How can I not? We’ll be able to strike at this person together. They’ll never be able to stop us!”

“That’s what I’m hoping for . . . just without all the excitement.”

Riley laughed. “I’ll try to tone it down.”

“At least that’s a start. I was able to extract information from the messenger who delivered the blackmail letter to me. I traced through it and discovered the letter went through at least six different middle-men before it reached me.”

“That’s . . . elaborate.” Riley hadn’t even thought to ask Bertrand about the messenger. She’s never even seen him . . . or her. “I found something too. A maid at Applewood manor directed Tariq to my room as part of some noble lady’s ‘prank’.”

“It’s probably connected to the noble who sent the letters at the palace. There are layers of duplicity at play here, but it all points to one of the ladies. Which is why I’m rejoining court for the international trip. I want to be here to find the culprit.”

“Is it safe for you to do that?”

“I’m a Nevrakis. We’re not known for ‘safe.’ We’re known for  _ crushing our enemies _ .”

“Aren’t you worried the blackmailer will expose your family history?”

Olivia went quiet for a moment, reflective. “. . .Whoever did this knows more about my parents than I do. Part of me wants answers. But my family is more than my parents’ actions. I will find who did this and punish them.”

A knock at the door interrupted their conversation.

“Riley!” Maxwell called. “Say something or else I’m bringing the hurricane fists.”

“You’ve given away the element of surprise,” Bertrand hissed.

“But I can’t just bust in! What if she’s changing?”

Olivia rolled her eyes and gave Riley a disparaging look. “Clearly ‘alone’ was too difficult for you to understand.”

“Yeah. Maxwell I’m fine!” Riley shouted back.

“Okay!” she heard him shout in return. “Consider these fists holstered. . . for now.”

“Maxwell and Bertrand may consider you their own, but you never know if you can really trust them,” Olivia said bluntly.

“Drake and I did find a suspicious envelope of cash in their study. . .”

Oliva raised an eyebrow. “Let me guess, they didn’t bother to explain it to you.”

“Well, no . . . but I had no reason to doubt their actions. They’ve always stood beside me.”

“So far.”

Olivia shifted her attention to the racks of clothes. “Do you know what you’re wearing to the dinner tomorrow?”

“Uhhh . . . clothes.”

“Still as hopeless as ever. You’re lucky I’m actually trying to help you this time. I wouldn’t want you to get lost among all these nice outfits. You’ll need the right one if you want to make a good impression on this tour. And the Italian statesman you’ll meet there loves red.” Olivia pulled a stunning red gown off the rack and flung it in Riley’s direction.

A small smile spread on Riley’s face. Maybe she actually was winning Olivia over! “I thought this was your color.”

“After everything that’s happened. . . we can share it.”

“Olivia! Thank you!”

“Ugh. You can take your jaw off the floor anytime.”

“It’s touching, that’s all.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just try it before I change my mind.” Olivia said with a scowl, but Riley noticed that the corners of her mouth had started to twitch up.

Riley went into the dressing room and tried on the dress. It glittered in the light. She stepped out with a big smile. Olivia looked at her with a satisfied smile.

“I’m not saying you wear red better than me, but you wear it well. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but consider it a gift. . . for sharing your information.”

Riley’s jaw dropped again. She loved the dress, but the Italian couture price tag was a little beyond her. Maybe she should have gotten Olivia on her side a long time ago.

“Thank you!”

“Listen, I’ll find you when I have more information to share.”

“Does this mean we’re finally friends?”

“No,” Oliva spat with a look of horror.

“You sure? Not even a little?”

Olivia’s face softened the tiniest bit. “Well. We have a mutual enemy.”

Riley gave her a winning smile. “I’ll take it! That’s a start!”

“Fine. Now, go.”

Riley ducked into the changing room and got back into her regular clothes, carefully putting the red dress in a garment bag. She left the boutique and found Maxwell and Bertrand waiting for her.

“Oh hey, Riley . . . you’re back! I was about to bust that door down,” Maxwell said, releasing the hostered fists.

“You have a dress?” Bertrand asked.

“It was Olivia. She’s been running her own investigation into who blackmailed her. She thinks we might be after the same person and wanted to share some information. She got me a dress that she thinks the Italian statesman will like.”

Riley unzipped the bag to show the brothers.

Maxwell’s jaw dropped. “That’s . . . unexpected.”

“I’ll take any ally we can get, even one as hostile as Lady Olivia,” Bertrand said, nodding.

“Maybe it’ll be good to have her on our side for a change. . .”

“Especially if she recommends dresses.”

“I think we’re actually becoming friends,” Riley said with a smile.

“Uh, not that I doubt the Riley friendship magic, but Olivia doesn’t have . . . friends,” Maxwell said.

“She does now!” Riley said with a grin.

“Yes, well, as useful as this little venture has been, we need to head to the dining car and go over our goals for tomorrow’s event with Justin. We need to impress foreign dignitaries to demonstrate Lady Riley’s grace and poise to the world,” Bertrand announced.

“Oh,” Riley said. She wasn’t sure she liked Justin. She appreciated his help at Applewood, but she did not trust his loyalty and in her current situation, that was dangerous. “You know, Hana helped me put together a gift for the Italian statesman we’ll be meeting with and taught me a few Italian phrases. Maybe we don’t need Justin’s help.”

“Lady Riley, while I appreciate the initiative you’ve taken, and Lady Hana’s assistance, we’ve hired Justin for a purpose.”

“Fine,” Riley grumbled. “Let the Italian adventure begin.”

The four of them sat in a secluded part of the dining car with Justin looking through an impressive looking dossier. 

“It is imperative that you charm our Italian hosts tomorrow, Riley,” Bertrand insisted.

“And the press,” Justin added. “They love lurking around the edges of these events.”

“Smile and wave, then enter the restaurant,” Riley said, already bored.

“Don’t think you’re safe once inside. The predators never stop watching.”

Something about the way he said that with a gleam in his eye was so off-putting to Riley. “Is the press going to criticize me for my fork placement?”

Justin paused, trying to get a read on her. “Yes.”

“And you’d deserve it. Always keep your forks ordered properly. Really Lady Riley, it’s like the hours of lessons meant nothing to you.”

Riley sighed heavily. “I’m kidding Bertrand.”

As Bertrand straightened himself, Justin moved on. “You need to be on guard, but also look at this as an opportunity.”

“An opportunity? For what?”

Bertrand sighed heavily again. “To prove that you are ready to be queen.”

Riley shot him a glare and Maxwell looked at her apologetically.

“You think Madeleine was just trying to win King Liam during the season?” Justin asked rhetorically. “No, she was also wooing the people, the press, and the court so they would support her when Liam made his decision.”

Riley couldn’t care less. In fact, she thought Madeleine would be a great queen, even if she was a terrible wife to Liam. “Oh. Yeah . . .”

“Which is exactly what you need to do now.”

Bertrand sipped his drink and Riley let her eyes wander to where Drake and Liam were eating together on the other side of the dining car. She was happy that Madeleine had given Liam enough space to spend some time with Drake. Drake had told her about their breakfasts and how the staff’s attitude toward him had seemingly changed overnight. They agreed that it was not a coincidence and that Madeleine was trying to push him out. Riley allowed herself a moment to daydream about the night before and how much she wished it could be like that all the time.

However . . .  _ Justin _ did not need to know about her relationship with Drake or how much she did  _ not _ want to be queen. So, instead of arguing, she focused on eating, properly of course.

Bertrand eyed her suspiciously. “Please make sure that this new loan against the Beaumont estate isn’t for naught.”

“So what do I need to do to make a good impression?”

Justin smiled widely. “With the press, keep it simple. Don’t give them anything to speculate with. I mean, the pundits will speculate regardless, but if there’s nothing there, they’ll forget about it after the next news break. Pose, smile, and move on.”

“Okay.”

“Now there have already been rumors circulating about you and Lord Maxwell. I don’t know if there’s much you can do about that since you will be together often, but if you stay on message, it shouldn’t give them much to run with. Perhaps there will be an opportunity soon to deflect attention away from that particular rumor.”

“About us, really?” Maxwell said in surprise. He looked at Riley and winked.

Drake had already mentioned those particular rumors, and it wasn’t exactly a surprise to her, considering she had encouraged them. She’d told him about Adelaide’s exaggerated response and how she had agreed so that the press would see her moving on and not speculating about her non-existent relationship with Liam and creating drama between her and Madeleine.

Bertrand tutted. “The Italian politician we’ll be meeting at the dinner was a friend of Liam’s mother, and is married to a Cordonian noble. His opinion is important both in Italy and Cordonia.”

“Smooth talk him,” Justin advised. “Impress him. Charm him.”

Okay, thanks for the super generic advice Justin. Seriously, what the hell was Bertrand paying him for? 

“Hana taught me some basic Italian to use when I meet him.”

“Now that’s prep work. I love it. The man’s also a fan of Italian football, and his favorite team is favored to win tonight. If they do, he’ll be in a good mood. Compliment him on the game, then he’ll be in an even better mood.”

“Any suggestions?”

“Check for game highlights tomorrow. Try to compliment a specific play. Do you follow football?”

“You mean soccer, right? Not really. . .”

“Good lord,” Bertrand gasped, “don’t refer to it as soccer!”

“Americans!” Justin said to Bertrand. “Anyway, after complimenting his team, vaguely agree and  _ pivot _ back to how wonderful it is to be here.”

“It really is,” Riley said, wistfully looking out the window. It was starting to get dark as the train flew through the Italian countryside. “I’ve always wanted to visit Italy.”

“He may also ask about Cordonian policy as it pertains to Italy,” Bertrand reminded Justin. Justin flipped to another page in his dossier.

“Policy? Why would he ask  _ me _ about policy?” Riley asked.

“King Liam is working on a deal to trade Cordonian tax incentives for access to EU markets. As a member of Liam’s court, you’re at least expected to be informed,” Justin answered.

“I see,” Riley. “Why doesn’t Cordonia have access to EU markets already?”

“Most members of the EU give preferential treatment to other members, or to large economies like the United States or China. Small countries outside the EU are at a disadvantage, I’m afraid, and considering that there are very few European countries still outside the EU, it’s even more difficult,” Bertrand explained.

Riley nodded in understanding. Thanks to the weeks of lessons on policy Bertrand had already given her, Riley quickly absorbed the information. She knew it would be foolish to use this opportunity to point out the advantages of having at least one democratically elected governing body in Cordonia that would qualify them for EU membership. She had mentioned it once before to Bertrand during a Cordonia history lesson and he’d gone on a thirty minute tirade about her being an anti-monarchist. That was the day she’d learned to keep her actual political opinions to herself.

“Is there anything else I should be informed about?” Riley asked in irritation. She was desperately tired of being underestimated. “After all the history lessons, I’m likely more up to date on King Fabian’s policies than Liam’s. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?”

“Well,” Bertrand began, “King Liam has only held the position for a month. None of us are entirely certain yet.”

“And yet, somehow, I am supposed to be informed even though I’ve only been back for a week.”

“Yes,” Justin answered. “And now you are.”

“Alright, what’s on the agenda tomorrow?”

Justin flipped to another page. “Most of the day will be spent in Naples. You are free to explore the city. The train departs again for Sorrento at four o’clock where the dinner will be held.”

“Thank you, Justin. Now that I know that, I’d like to get some sleep.”

*****************

After spending the early part of the morning exploring Naples with her friends, they made the short excursion to visit Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii. Riley couldn’t help but draw comparisons to her own life. One unexpected event blew up all her expectations and now her life was frozen in time, on hold indefinitely until they could undo the damage. Too bad she couldn’t go back in time and warn these poor people. Run away! All those things you think are problems aren’t - just get out while you can! And yet, she wondered if that was really the advice she would give her past self. Get out while you still can?

Since Pompeii was actually closer to Sorrento than Naples, they opted to take their time and meet the train in Sorrento, where it was time for Riley to get ready for the all important dinner with Francesco. Hana joined her to get ready and do Riley’s hair.

“The bouquet we made still looks lovely,” Hana gushed. “I was afraid that it would be wilted after two days and such a long journey.”

“I really appreciate your help, Hana. I’m still not sure why everyone seems to think I’m so interesting, but I’d rather not make a fool of myself if I can help it.”

Hana put the finishing touches on Riley’s hair, a side swept bun, threaded through with small braids. Riley searched through her jewelry for earrings to compliment the stunning red dress.

“Do you need a refresher on your Italian greetings?”

“No, I think I got it. ‘Buona sera signore Francesco.’”

Hana giggled. “Of course you got it. You always pick things up so quickly.”

Riley found her delicate teardrop earrings and put them in. “Do you know anything about the trade deal Liam is working on with Italy?”

“Only that there is pushback from the EU on allowing any more exports from Cordonia, particularly silver.”

“Cordonia exports silver?”

“Oh yes, largely from Ramsford. I would have thought Bertrand would have told you all about that.”

“Huh. Maybe he’s concerned about how the deal will affect House Beaumont’s finances.” Riley paused for a moment. She knew where all her information, or lack of information came from, but what about Hana? How did the other ladies at court know what was happening? “Hana, how did you know about the deal and about the silver?”

“Well, my father sends me briefings on all business related deals happening in Cordonia and my mother keeps me up to date on shifts in social powers. Also, um . . .” Hana blushed and looked away.

“What?” Riley asked.

“Well, Madeleine provides us with a detailed briefing once a week and makes sure that we know what’s going on.”

“Madeleine? Who’s ‘us’?”

“Oh, um, me and Kiara and Penelope. I guess since you aren’t officially one of her ladies-in-waiting, she doesn’t tell you.”

“That or she doesn’t want me to appear competent.” 

“Do you really think so?” Hana asked. She seemed genuinely surprised.

“Sure. She doesn’t want me to have support since she still thinks I want to be queen.”

“I . . . suppose that’s possible. Could she be the noble lady that set you up?”

“She’s first on my suspect list, but we need more information. We’d better go, can’t be late for the fancy dinner.”

***************

Riley stayed close to Maxwell and Hana as they pushed past the paparazzi and made their entrance at the restaurant. It was a chic, modern restaurant on the second floor of the building, with the lights of the city shining below them visible through the floor to ceiling windows. Maxwell nodded at the press who had noticed their arrival and were beginning to approach.

“Here we go!”

Riley posed with Maxwell and with Hana, but noticed a familiar face in the crowd of photographers. It was the woman from the security badge! She must be the photographer who took the pictures with Tariq.

“Ready for your closeup,” Hana whispered.

Riley narrowed her eyes at the woman, but turned to pose again with Hana, a bright smile fixed on her face.

“Beautiful,” Ana de Luca declared. “Lady Riley greets Italy with a warm smile.”

“Make sure you catch my good side,” Maxwell said, spinning Riley into another pose.

Finally it seemed the paparazzi had what they needed and were ready to move on to the next set of guests. Riley took a few steps toward the photographer, but lost sight of her in the crowd.

“Riley, where are you going?” Maxwell asked, alarmed.

“The photographer,” she whispered back.

“She’s here?” Hana asked, looking back into the crowd of paparazzi now behind them.

“I just saw her, but she got away.” Frustration surged through Riley. What if this had been the only chance and she lost it?

Maxwell must have noticed her frustration. He pulled her back and patted her arm, reassuringly. “We’ll get her.”

Hana nodded in agreement. “If she’s covering the party, she’ll be here all night.”

“You’ll get another chance. We just have to wait for your moment.”

“Maxwell, are you sure?” Riley said, still looking back in the crowd.

“It’s the hottest event in town. She’ll stay.”

“Maybe we can draw her out somehow?” Hana added.

“Good idea! We’ll get her alone and pump her for information!” Maxwell was bouncing now.

“And then she’ll tell us who hired her that night,” Riley said. She was determined now. If the photographer was here, she was not leaving without telling them everything.

“And we’ll finally have a solid lead!” Hana said.

“Just like real detectives. The game is afoot!” Maxwell did a quick spin and posed in what Riley could only assume was a detective pose. “Well, almost afoot . . We should get seated for dinner. Bertrand’s probably waiting for us.”

Hana checked the seating chart at the door. “I’m over this way. See you two later.”

Riley and Maxwell made their way through the crowded room. Suddenly they came face to face with Liam.

“Lady Riley. What a pleasure to run into you here. You look elegant and polished as always.” Riley suppressed a laugh. If only he knew that it was rarely her doing and that Maxwell and Hana were more responsible for her appearance at events than she was. “Are you enjoying the spectacle?”

Riley looked around. “It’s lovely,” she answered.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”

“Back in New York, I never imagined I’d get to travel the world with a royal court.”

The conversation was mercifully interrupted by the sound of someone tapping on a glass, they turned their attention across the room to Adelaide.

“Hello, hello, everyone! Please begin taking your seats.”

_ “Mother! I told you not to tap on your glass, it’s tacky!” _ Madeleine hissed, although the sound carried across the room. Riley looked at Liam’s expression, which had become carefully neutral.

“And now a word from my darling angel, Madeleine.”

“Er, I mean, thank you all for coming. Please do take your seats.”

Riley cringed. That was awkward. Although she was still a bit angry with Liam, she didn’t think he deserved to be in the middle of that train-wreck of a family.

With a still neutral expression, Liam turned back to her, “We should be finding our places.” He gave her a long, sad look and then disappeared into the crowd. Riley rolled her eyes and she and Maxwell made their way to their table where Bertrand and a man Riley hadn’t met were waiting.

“Ah, Lady Riley, there is someone I would like you to meet,” Bertrand said. “This is signor Francesco.”

The man appeared to be in his late thirties and wore a well tailored suit. “Salve, Lady Riley! It’s a pleasure.”

“Buona sera, signore. The pleasure is all mine. I am delighted to be her in your beautiful country,” Riley responded smoothly. From behind Francesco, Bertrand beamed at her.

“Molto bene! Sit, sit!”

“I cannot sit until I give you these flowers.” Riley passed him the bouquet of blue and white flowers she had made with Hana at the conservatory at Applewood.

“For me? These are lovely,” Francesco said in surprise.

“Of course. The hydrangeas symbolize our gratitude for hosting us, and the white roses signify the unity between Cordonia and Italy.”

“Magnifico. A most thoughtful gift.”

“Thank you, signor.”

Riley took her seat at the table while Signor Fracesco greeted Maxwell and then Olivia, who was also seated at their table.

“Hello. I guess I’m sitting here with you,” Olivia stated with an air of disinterest.

Francesco took her hand, kissing her knuckles. “Welcome, Lady . . . “

“Olivia. Good evening, singor.”

The Italian looked taken aback by Olivia’s lack of attempt to charm him.

“And please, call me Francesco. These dinners are pretentious enough without the ‘signor’ nonsense. I must say, Riley, you have excellent taste in fashion.”

“Oh?” Riley asked coyly.

“Your gown! It’s bellissima. I would recognize Italian couture anywhere.”

“Grazie.”

Olivia winked in Riley’s direction and turned a genuine smile to Francesco.

“I told Riley that it was stunning on her. I’m always right about these things.”

“Indeed,” Francesco agreed as plates of food were placed on the table and their glasses filled with a vibrant red wine. “I ordered a special vintage to celebrate this happy occasion. What do you think?”

Riley swirled the wine and sipped, just as Bertrand had taught her to. She tried to identify the flavors, but it mostly tasted like a really nice, fruity wine. She summoned every ounce of pretentiousness she could improvise. “It’s fruit forward and smokey, with hints of rose and an oak finish.” Riley glanced at Maxwell who sipped along with them, though she could see the laughter in his eyes. Bertrand beamed at her. “A beautiful wine,” Riley finished.

“Yes, this Sangiovese is from the oldest vineyards in Tuscany. It is an Italian treasure. The name means ‘blood of Jupiter’.”

“Wouldn’t that make it the wine of gods and kings?” Riley asked, now fully into her ‘Lady Riley’ role.

“It would. What a delightful observation!”

Olivia seemed bored by the pretentious conversation at hand. “Please. We have wines in the cellar of our winter home that would make this taste like watered-down grape juice.”

“Olivia!” Riley gasped as Bertrand almost choked on his wine.

“Perhaps your tastes are simply not refined enough to appreciate it.” Francesco said with a frown. Olivia scowled. “Lady Riley, Lady Olivia, I didn’t know what to expect of you two after the rumors I’ve heard.”

“Rumors?” Riley asked, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks. Surely it had been long enough that the press was not still circulating the Tariq story.

“I wouldn’t expect someone of your stature to pay attention to idle gossip,” Olivia seethed.

“A fair point, but when nobles talk, it’s difficult to ignore it.”

Maxwell looked concerned. “What are these rumors about Riley?”

“That she is unfit to be at court, to say nothing of the scandal that developed when she was in contention to be queen.”

Riley figured it would probably be best to get right to the point. “Do you believe them?”

“Tell me, should I believe them?”

Riley suppressed a sigh at the word games and considered the ways she could play this. She could go for an outright denial, which would prove nothing if Francesco already had his mind made up. Or, she could appeal to the impression she had made tonight, which is what the public side of this tour was really about for her. “I can only try to show people who I really am. I can’t change anyone’s mind with words alone.”

This statement was so far from the ‘I don’t give a fuck what people think’ she would have thrown back at them only a few months ago. Now, she might think it, but she would never say it out loud, unless she was talking to Drake.

Francesco eyed her carefully, sizing her up. “A wise response. If you want the people to have faith in you, you will need to do more than tell them to. Court may seem like nothing more than ball gowns and galas, but it’s politics. Play or get off the field.”

Riley nodded appreciatively. She could agree that court was entirely political and it was time for her to play the game.

“Speaking of, do you watch football?” Francesco asked. Riley noted the curiosity and challenge in his eye. She knew that anyone playing a policial game tonight would be aware of his love of soccer.

“Yes, I saw your team’s last game,” Riley lied smoothly. She had done as Justin suggested and watched a few highlights. “Quite a win with that stoppage time golazo.”

“I was on the edge of my seat! And tying the game with a free kick a few minutes earlier? Magnifico!”

“It was something else!” Riley agreed quickly, hoping that she had said enough. That was about as much as she knew about the game.

“It truly is ‘the beautiful game’.

“It’s a beautiful game befitting a beautiful country. I’m honored to be here.”

“Ah yes, Italia is the most beautiful country in the world. I envy your opportunity to experience my country with fresh eyes. The rolling hills of Tuscany, the shores of Sicily, the bustle and history of Rome.”

Olivia broke in with her trademark cynicism. “You’re forgetting the crowded streets and the annoying tourists.”

“Nonsense. Only someone with a truly narrow mind can’t look past those inconveniences. Italy is an unrivaled wellspring of art and culture. Our artisans and craftspeople are world-renowned! But . . . their tenacity outpaces the local market.”

Riley perked her ears up, she suspected this had to do with Liam’s trade deal. “What are you suggesting?”

“Honest Italians sell their work in Cordonia, but are disadvantaged by tax initiatives that favor Cordonians. Shouldn’t the Crown level the playing field?”

Francesco tilted his head ever so slightly, awaiting Riley’s answer. Olivia too, looked at Riley with interest. 

“Well, shouldn’t Italy allow Cordonia access to new markets in kind?”

Olivia’s eyes widened in surprise and she nodded in respect. “Riley makes an excellent point,” she said, sipping her wine.

“It seems only fair,” Maxwell said, adding his voice to the conversation.

Francesco looked a bit startled, but soon smiled. “Impressive. No shrewd politician would consent to such a request without getting something in return.”

“I may not be as naive as I look,” Riley said, thinking it didn’t take a great deal of political savvy to understand compromise and the nature of trade.

“Indeed. Where did you study?”

“I attended Columbia for my undergraduate degree. And Duke Ramsford saw personally to my education in Cordonia’s history and politics when I arrived this summer.”

“I see. Most impressive Lady Riley. The media made it sound as if you were an uncultured and uneducated American waitress hoping to climb the social ladder by marrying a Prince. I see they were quite wrong. You are quite an asset to the Cordonian court.”

A waiter appeared at their table and cleared their plates.

“Ladies, gentlemen, may I offer you some tiramisu or gelato?”

“No, thank you,” Francesco. “I’m afraid I must pay the happy couple my respects and leave now. I have some business matters to attend to. Riley, dining with you has been an absolute delight. It is so rare to make the acquaintance of someone with such charm and taste. Arrivederci, signorina.”

“Arrivederci!” As Francesco made his way to Liam’s table. Riley mentally recounted their conversation and decided that it was a success. She turned to the rest of the table. “I think it went really well!”

“I knew you’d do great,” Maxwell said with a smile.

Olivia regarded Riley over her wine glass. “I’m surprised. . . and a little impressed. You have more political acumen than I gave you credit for. I’m glad my days of needing to jump through courtly hoops are over.”

“Thanks to you, Maxwell. Those wine tasting lessons actually came in handy!”

“We should celebrate! With tiramisu!”

“Before that, I need a word with you, Maxwell.  _ Alone! _ ” Bertrand demanded.

“Oh, that kind of word. Hold the tiramisu, I’ve been summoned.”

The Beaumont brothers made their way to a more secluded area of the room and moments later, Drake slid into the seat next to Riley. She knew they were supposed to be sensible and discreet, but her face involuntarily beamed at him. 

“I thought you’d never stop talking to that Italian guy,” Drake said.

“Aww, did you miss me?” Riley asked flirtatiously. She reached for his hand under the table.

“You’re preferable to standing alone in a corner,” he acknowledged with a small smile.

“Clearly a high bar.”

“Yet so many fail to clear it, except you of course. Nice dress by the way,” he said and a blush crept over his face. Riley smiled, feeling a blush on her cheeks as well, and ran her thumb across his hand. She wished desperately that they weren’t in a room full of court people and they could just be Drake and Riley in an Italian restaurant, enjoying each other’s company.

“Just adorable, you two.” 

Suddenly Riley snapped back to reality as she realized that Olivia was still sitting across from them. For some reason, she had assumed Olivia had left when Bertrand and Maxwell did. Both she and Drake turned from each other to Olivia who was eyeing them with a satisfied smirk.

“What are  _ you _ even doing here, Olivia?” Drake snapped.

“Helping Riley,” Olivia sniped back at him.

“I’ve seen your kind of help. We’re better off without it.”

“It’s good to see you too, Drake,” Olivia said, still glaring at him. “And it’s ‘we’ now, is it?”

Other than Olivia obviously reading them like a book, Riley found this interaction fascinating. She had always thought Drake and Olivia hated each other, but there was actually an undercurrent of friendship underneath their verbal sparring. Knowing Drake as she did, and Olivia as she thought she was beginning to, it kind of made sense. They may not actually like each other, but there was certainly a mutual respect in it. She thought back to one of her first conversations with Drake when he named Olivia his least favorite person and realized that that actually placed her  _ on _ his list of favorite people, which was already a pretty small list. She squeezed Drake’s hand.

“She’s actually helping,” Riley explained. “She’s sincere, Drake.”

His large chocolate eyes locked on hers. “Sincere in her cruelty.”

“We met up earlier because she’s looking for the blackmailer too.”

Drake’s eyes narrowed slightly and he turned to Olivia with one eyebrow raised, challenging her to say something useful.

Olivia met his glare. “I was targeted just like Riley. We have the same enemy.”

“If Brooks is okay with it, then fine.” Riley brushed her thumb over his hand again in thanks. “But I’m watching you.”

Olivia deepened her scowl, “Don’t hurt yourself.”

“So,” Riley said brightly, trying to break the tension between Drake and Olivia, “did you find anything?”

Olivia waved her hand dismissively. “I’ve been following a lead. During the social season someone tried to sell a pack of photos with Riley and Liam in New York to the tabloids.”

Of course, Drake and Riley already knew about those. “How do you know about that?” Drake asked in surprise.

A sly grin spread on Olivia’s face. “Don’t sound so surprised. I’m the Duchess of Lythikos. I get what I want.”

“But Bastien and I bought the photos back before they were published. How did you find them when no one else did?”

“The details aren’t important. We’ll leave it at that.”

“So, does this mean the person who sold Bastien the photos is the same person who had the photos taken of me and Tariq?” Riley asked.

“Don’t be dense, Riley. If I knew the answer to that, we wouldn’t be her having this pointless discussion.”

Drake hands clenched and Riley sensed him getting angry. “No need for insults here, Olivia. We want to get to the bottom of this as much as you do.”

Olivia’s satisfied smile came back. “I think whoever sold the photos could have a connection to the person who blackmailed Riley and me.”

“That’s . . . a possibility,” Drake acknowledged. In fact, Drake had offered a similar theory a couple days before. “But unless you have something to show us, we’re no further in this investigation than we were before we started talking to you.”

“Funny you should mention that. As a matter of fact I have a copy of those photos with me. And I think I have a hunch about who took them. But I want you two with me on this.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about this on the train?” Riley asked. Olivia must have had this information earlier if she had copies here with her.

Olivia tsked in exasperation. “Because  _ somebody _ forgot the meaning of ‘come alone.’”

“And I don’t count?” Drake asked.

“You’re not a threat,” Olivia said sweetly.

“Sure.”

With an eye roll, Olivia continued. “Besides, I said I’d find you when I had more information to share, and here we are. Are you going to help or not?”

“I’ll look into it with you. Riley doesn’t have to get her hands dirty with this.”

“Please. Riley’s a big girl. She can take care of herself. She doesn’t need a white knight to protect her.”

“We don’t know where this lead will take us, and Riley could still be a target.”

Riley cleared her throat,reminding them of her presence at the table. She put a reassuring hand on Drake’s arm. “The dignitaries can wait. If she has new evidence, then I want to be there to see it.”

Drake’s eyes searched hers, full of apprehension. “I don’t want people going after you because we overturned the right rock.”

“I think I’m good, but I love the concern, Drake.” 

Their eyes stayed locked as Drake weighed the risks. It didn’t really matter what he said, she was all in on this and he probably knew that. Finally Drake let out a long sigh.

“Alright, there’s not much use in protesting.”

Riley grinned at him, “There is not, but I’m glad you have my back anyway.”

Olivia looked at them with disgust. “If you two are quite done with your nauseating displays of affection, these are the copies of the images that were sold to the tabloids.” She spread them out on the table. Drake glanced at them and nodded.

This was the first time Riley had seen them. She glanced through the images. They were actually really good pictures. She saw what Drake had meant though about how the tabloids could use them to tell a story about a party-boy prince and a waitress from New York chasing a crown, even if that story wasn’t entirely accurate.

“So what’s your hunch?” she asked Olivia.

Olivia moved the pictures around to focus on three in particular. “Look. In this photo, you can see Drake and Liam. Here’s you and Liam. Blah, blah, blah. What’s interesting is in this photo, way in the background, you can see Tariq. So you know what that means? There’s only one person who’s not in a single photo. Maxwell.”

No, no, no, no, no. Riley felt as if a gallon of ice had been dumped on her without her knowing. Maxwell had been by her side through all of this. Even when she got mad at him for not listening to her or dismissing her feelings, she knew that it was only because he was trying so hard to make everything better for House Beaumont. He had nothing to gain by betraying her. And more than that, she couldn’t imagine him ever working against her. They were  _ friends _ . Best friends.

Riley turned her attention to Drake and saw the look of shock and sadness that must have mirrored her own.

“No way . . . I thought Bastien screened all the photos.”

“That means the only person who could be the photographer is . . .”

“Maxwell.” Drake’s face darkened and his eyes flicked to where Maxwell and Bertrand were still locked in a furtive conversation.

Riley felt the familiar surge of anxiety rise and her mind went a little numb. “Maxwell?” she breathed. “We’re jumping to conclusions. Maybe there’s an explanation.”

Riley saw both Drake and Olivia fix identical stares at her, skeptical and hardened.

Drake looked away first, glowering back toward Maxwell and Bertrand. “There’d better be.”

“Whatever you think of him, he needs to be questioned.” Olivia said bluntly.

“Agreed,” said Drake. The two of them gave each other a disgusted look - apparently for agreeing with each other - and looked back to Riley. Riley pushed aside the pained betrayal she felt and looked over to the Beaumonts with a sigh. She pushed back the emotion that threatened to make her cry and wordlessly nodded at Drake and Olivia.

“Let’s get him,” Drake said.

The three of them crossed the room and cornered Maxwell and Bertrand.

“Excuse us, we’re discussing important matters here,” Bertrand said with clear irritation.

Maxwell smiled at Riley in his usual, carefree, boyish way. “I know I’m holding up the tiramisu, but we’re almost done here. Oh hey, are we bringing Olivia with us too?”

Riley, Drake and Olivia continued to glare at him.

“Why are you all looking at me funny? Is it a staring contest? I’m game. Grrr . . . I’ll beat all three of you.”

Riley broke the silence. “Maxwell, explain yourself!”

He relaxed into a grin. “I’m an enigma. I’m beyond explanation.”

Olivia shoved the pictures into his hands. “You took these,” she stated.

Maxwell flipped through the photos in his hand. “Thanks for citing your sources. Those are my pictures from the bachelor party in New York. I actually like that one. I’m not much of a photographer, but I gave that one a nice dutch angle.”

Riley looked at the photo he was talking about. It was actually a beautiful shot of her and Liam walking off together, holding hands. Despite her admiration of the photography, Maxwell hadn’t even denied that these were his pictures. The pain hit her hard.

“I can’t believe you,” Drake growled at him.

“Did I do something wrong?” Maxwell asked, alarmed.

“You’re connected to the blackmailer,” Olivia said as if it should be obvious.

A look of genuine surprise crossed Maxwell’s face, but Riley wasn’t sure if it was a surprise because it wasn’t true or surprise that he had been caught. And she hated herself for that doubt. Even when the scandal broke, Maxwell had never doubted  _ her _ . “What? I would never betray Riley.”

“Maxwell,” Riley finally interjected, “I believe that, but we need an explanation.”

A small sliver of hope returned that she could actually trust him again.

“These photographs didn’t end up in the tabloid’s hand without some help. Telling us what you know will help track that person down,” Riley added.

Maxwell’s eyes darted between the three of them. Riley’s sympathetic, Drake’s angry and Olivia’s cold. “This is serious . . . I can’t hide it any longer. I took the pictures because I was going to make a scrapbook of all our time spent together. There, the surprise is ruined.”

“Then why sell them to the tabloids!” Drake demanded.

“That wasn’t me! I could never do that.”

“You can and you  _ did _ !” Olivia insisted.

“You betrayed Liam! You betrayed Riley! You betrayed all of us! We trusted you.” Drake finished in disgust.

“No! I . . . I . . .”

“Stop!” Bertrand said, loudly enough to turn heads in the room. He continued with a quieter voice. “Please. Stop. If you would please direct your ire away from Maxwell. The indiscretion in question is mine and mine alone.”

Drake turned an icy stare at Bertrand. “Meaning. . . “

“I was the one who sold the photos of the bachelor party to the tabloids.”

Maxwell was actually taken aback, “Bertrand! No! Why? How could you do that to Riley and Liam?”

“Explain yourself,” Drake said looking down at Bertrand. Riley couldn’t believe it, but Bertrand actually flinched.

“There is no excuse for what I did, but the reason enough was simple . . . money. Most nobles didn’t think Lady Riley would last a week . . . I was one of them. Here I was facing the terrible reality of having agreed to sponsor a failure of a candidate. House Beaumont’s last chance at being restored to its former glory would be ruined, and it would be on my shoulders. I decided to salvage what I could and sell any material related to you, the photos in question being the only thing I could find.”

“Bertrand . . . you went through my phone.”

“I was doing research, all in the name of saving House Beaumont. But . . . I betrayed you, Maxwell, my only brother, my own flesh and blood. Father would be ashamed if he knew.”

Riley’s head spun. If she couldn’t trust Bertrand, whose legacy depended on her success, there were very few people indeed that she could trust. Looking around, she realized that truly, the only person she could trust to  _ always _ be on her side was Drake. Everyone else was playing their own game. Even Maxwell, she realized as she thought back to his shifty behavior with the envelope of cash and the conversations between him and Bertrand that she was not privy to. But right now, it was Bertrand’s betrayal that stung the most.

“Bertrand, you sold me out!”

Bertrand turned his eyes to Riley. She could see the regret, but also the pride that would never let him be fully on her side. “I did. There’s no excusing it. If it means anything at all, and I don’t suspect that it does, please know that I’ll never forgive myself for this. For what I did to you. If it’s any solace, I can only say that this was before . . . before I knew you. Before I saw that you had a chance here at court. Before I . . . before I began to believe in you.”

Actually, that made it worse. Knowing that Bertrand had written her off in the early days was not a surprise, but that his regret came from what she had done for him and not genuine loyalty was a bit eye opening.

“Another mistake by the  _ oh-so-illustrious _ Duke of Ramsford,” Drake spat.

“It would appear so,” Bertrand said sadly. He looked back to Riley. “Lady Riley, I do not believe my actions are worthy of your forgiveness, even so, let me extend to you my most sincere apologies.”

“Mine too,” Maxwell added.

“No, Maxwell, you had nothing to do with this. The blame is mine to shoulder. I know it’s too much to hope for your forgiveness, but I’d at least like to offer my continued services. My misconduct has no relation to the cretins who so wrongly hurt you. I may still be of some use in helping you uncover your true enemies here.”

Honestly, Riley had turned most of Bertrand’s long apology out. Big words didn’t mean much to her and she’d already been slightly distrustful of Bertrand.

“I won’t forget this, but I still need your help,” she said simply.

He nodded solemnly. “And you shall have it”

“I guess at least we know the truth,” Drake said to her.

“Yes,” Olivia said with an air of boredom. “And now that it’s clear this little revelation isn’t related to either of our blackmailers, I’m leaving. Hopefully the next lead I find will be more fruitful.”

“Olivia, we couldn’t have done this without you,” Riley said with a smile.

Drake grimaced, but said, “You were actually . . . helpful.”

“Don’t make much of it. We’re allies of convenience.”

“We’re still allies,” Riley said grinning at Olivia.

“ . . . Yeah. We are.”

Without another word, Olivia disappeared into the crowd.

Finally, the evening started coming to an end. Riley found Hana at the dessert table and with the mystery of the bachelor party pictures solved, they turned their attention to finding the photographer.They only had to endure some small talk with Kiara and Penelope, which ended awkwardly.

“Oh! Riley, you’re close with Maxwell Beaumont. Do you think Maxwell might . . . well . . . be interested in a marriage prospect?”

“You mean, you?” Riley asked in surprise.

“Well . . . yes. He’s such a sweetheart, and a member of House Beaumont!”

“You and Maxwell? I don’t think it would work out,” Riley answered honestly. The girl had seriously  _ just _ been talking about how she didn’t like big parties. Had she met Maxell? “No offense to you, but you’re not his type.”

Penelope looked crushed. “Oh? What’s his type?”

Riley actually didn’t know. She’d never seen Maxwell interested in anyone in particular and she didn’t think his attempts at bars and clubs to impress the ‘laaaaaadies,’ were anything more than attention seeking distractions for him. So, she put together her best list of qualities of someone  _ she _ would pick for Maxwell. “Someone charming and witty and knows how to have fun . . . And gorgeous, obviously.”

“Oh, someone like you,” Penelope said knowingly.

“What? No, that’s not what I --”

“Ahem.” Hana nodded at Maxwell who was coming toward them.

“Ladies, might I have a moment of Riley’s time?”

“Oh! Of course! We’ll give you two some privacy,” Penelope said with a wink at Riley.

“What was that about?” Maxwell asked.

“Nothing. Let’s just say you owe me for saving you from a life of poodle talk.”

He shot a horrified look back at Penelope. “Oh!”

Riley stifled a laugh. “She asked if you’d be interested in marrying her.”

“Good thing my dad isn’t here then.”

“Why? Was your dad really into poodles too?”

Maxwell’s face scrunched. “My dad was into power. Penelope’s house is one of the five great houses and she’s the only heir. She’ll be the Duchess of Portavira someday. My dad would like nothing more than both of his sons being Dukes in two of the most powerful duchies in the country.”

“Oh,” Riley said. She wondered, not for the first time, what it would be like to grow up in this world where who you marry is a political move for your family and romance and love were secondary, if considered at all.

They turned their attention to finding the photographer. “Maybe we should do something to draw her out. No photographer can resist the chance to catch a big moment in the making,” Maxwell suggested.

“Good idea. I know, since they all think we’re dating, you should fake a proposal!”

“Ooh, drama! I’ll get down on one knee and give a big speech . . .”

“But at the last minute, it turns out . . .”

“I was talking about my dessert!”

“Perfect! I’ll give you a signal when I see the photographer and that’s when you confess that you’re really talking about your dessert! Let’s go.”

They scouted out a location and decided on a spot near the door.

Maxwell began his speech in a loud voice, “Lady Riley, there’s . . . something I need to say to you.” He had caught the attention of some of the press and several of them were making their way over to Riley and Maxwell. “Tonight, I discovered something about myself. Something I suppose I’ve known was true for a long time, but I couldn’t admit it to myself until now. There was always something missing, some piece of me that wasn’t there. But then . . . something unbelievable happened. Tonight, I realized what has been missing.”

Maxwell got down on one knee and the paparazzi had formed a circle around them.

“And it’s like my eyes are opening for the first time!”

“I don’t understand,” Riley said.

“Riley, now that _ I _ know, I need the world to know.”

Riley caught sight of the photographer and winked at Maxwell. “Maxwell, what are you saying?”

The press seemed to lean in collectively. “I’m saying that I love . . .” Maxwell reached into his pocket and the crowd gasped. He pulled out a spoon. “Gelato!” he finished triumphantly.

Maxwell stood up to grab a bowl of gelato from a nearby server. “Sho derishush!”

Ana de Luca looked hilariously confused. “What?”

“How have ah lived without you for sho lon?” Maxwell gushed over his gelato.

“I’ve never seen a love so pure,” Riley said. As the crowd began to disperse, she kept her eye on the dark haired photographer from the security badge. Riley and Maxwell started to follow her, but she took off running, out of the restaurant and out into the city.

“After her!” Riley shouted to Maxwell. Riley ran after the woman, pushing through on sheer adrenaline, dodging and leaping over every hurdle the photographer tried to throw in their path. When they were outside, the photographer ran directly out into traffic, but Riley rolled over the hood of a car, not wanting to lose her in the crowded streets.

“Whoa! Nice moves, Riley!” Maxwell said, running up next to her. Riley saw the photographer duck into an alley. This was their big break. 

“Hey! You’re not getting away that easy!” Maxwell yelled.

Riley pointed and she and Maxwell turned at the same time, running into the alley and almost crashing into the photographer who had realized too late that it was a dead end.

“Got you!” Riley said, triumphantly. “Hey Maxwell, I guess jogging with you paid off after all.”

“I knew it would!”

Riley was spent though, she’d never run so hard in her life, much less in a sequined gown and heels. They turned their attention to the mysterious woman they had cornered. The photographer slumped her shoulders and turned to face them.

“I was hoping to avoid this.”

“Alright, Riley. You want to be bad cop, or should I?” Maxwell asked.

The photographer rolled her eyes. “ _ Very _ intimidating.”

“Who are you?” Riley asked.

“Rosanna. Freelance photographer.”

“No last name?”

“Not for you.”

“Don’t play dumb with me!” Maxwell said with a furrowed brow. Then his face relaxed, “I guess I’m the bad cop - -”

Riley cleared her throat. “Who hired you to take those pictures of me and Tariq at Appelwood Manor?”

The photographer took a step back and seemed to lose some of her bravado. “Listen, you caught me, and I don’t want to get embroiled any further in whatever is going on, so . . .”

“We want the truth!” Maxwell demanded.

“Settle down. I’m trying to tell you the truth. I don’t know who hired me. Never met them.”

Riley’s heart sank. If that were true, where could they look next? “And you didn’t think that was a little, I don’t know, shady?”

“It was a paid gig. I don’t really have the luxury of caring where my paycheck comes from. Not all of us live in fancy palaces and have everything handed to us.”

Riley snorted. “I see you don’t do much research on your subjects either. But if you never met them, how did they contact you in the first place?”

“Email.”

“Really?” Maxwell asked.

Rosana sighed. “The paparazzi isn’t like the CIA. It’s not all cloak-and-daggers. What did you expect?”

“I don't know,” Maxwell said. “Something cooler.

Riley took over the investigation again. “Do you have the email address?”

“I have it, but I doubt it’ll help. I sent a follow-up to ask about future jobs, but the message bounced.”

“How did they pay you?”

“Bank transfer. We never met or spoke on the phone.”

“You have to know something!”

“Well . . . I do have a digital copy of the receipt from the bank transfer.”

“Way to bury the lede,” Riley grumbled.

“You didn’t ask!”

Riley frowned.

“Why do you have this?” Maxwell asked.

“Freelancers always hang onto the receipts. Anyway, you can have it. I want to wash my hands of all of this, ASAP.” Rosana pulled out her phone and typed away at a message. “What address do you want this sent to?”

Maxwell blushed, “Uhh . . . thefullbeaumonty at, you know what, I should just type it out myself.” Maxwell typed his email address into the photographer’s phone, which took . . . awhile, and then he handed it back to her.

“Really?” Rosana said with a scowl. Whatever Maxwell’s email address was, it was clearly something ridiculous and inappropriate.

“I made it when I was fourteen, okay?”

“There, it’s sent. Can I go now?”

“Don’t go too far! The long arm of the law is . . . long!”

Rosanna pushed past and disappeared into the streets of Sorrento. Maxwell read through the email she had sent as they started walking back.

“Anything useful?” Riley was beginning to lose hope that they would ever be able to trace this back to the source. If multiple middle-men were used and no one knew anything about anyone else involved, the remaining three weeks of the tour might not be enough to get the answers they needed.

“I’m not sure . . . Let’s bring it back to Bertrand.”

Riley fumed a little inside. She no longer trusted Bertrand, but she believed he wanted her name cleared, even if it was for selfish reasons. “Bertrand? What can he do?”

“Bertrand goes to the bank and talks to credit card companies all the time these days. Besides if all else fails, maybe he can intimidate someone into telling us something! You’ve heard Bertrand’s Duke Ramsford voice. He  _ always _ gets his way. You dare dishonor the Great House Beaumont? I’ll have you drawn and quartered like the swine you are!”

Riley laughed out loud. “Hah! You sound just like him.”

“It’s one of my few skills. Okay, let’s get this evidence back to the lab.”

Riley took Maxwell’s arm, “Let’s roll, partner.” 

********************

After sharing the events of the evening with Bertrand, Maxwell walked Riley back to her room.

“That was some good detectin’ today, Riley.”

“Thanks. All that running was tiring though.”

“It was. Time to get some rest. Oh! I almost forgot. Ding ding! You have a message.”

“Huh?”

“Since Liam can’t contact you in a way that wouldn’t leave a trail, he asked me to deliver a message.”

Riley suppressed a sigh. After everything that had happened today, she really didn’t want to deal with Liam, but she looked at Maxwell expectantly, waiting to hear what Liam had to say.

“He said that if you wanted to see him, he’d be waiting for you down by the shore.”

“Really? He’s just waiting for me down there? What if I don’t want to see him?”

“Yep, and as your fellow house member, I say you should go.” Riley opened her mouth to argue, but Maxwell cut her off. “It’s up to you though. And now that my messenger tasks are done, I’m out. Night, Riley.”

Maxwell ducked out quickly and was into the next train car before Riley could say anything else or ask any questions. Alright, fine. Maybe it would be good to finally lay things out for Liam and he could stop mooning over her. Better go see what he wants.

Riley walked from the train to the beach, which wasn’t a long walk, but it wasn’t exactly a block away either. A guy from the Royal Guard had tried to stop her from leaving and she’d had to reassure him that she only wanted to go for a walk on the beach and she wouldn’t be far, and yes, she would summon Lord Maxwell if she needed help.

When she finally made it, Liam was there, standing next to a rowboat. She wondered how long he had been waiting since the events of the evening had taken quite some time. When he saw her, he smiled brightly. For half a second, she was tempted to call Drake and have him come down there with them so she wouldn’t be alone.

“Riley,” he greeted her.

“Good evening,” she answered.

“It certainly is, now that you’re here. Riley . . . there’s something I want to ask you. Something I’ve been thinking about.”

Riley hesitated. He had the same longing look in his eyes that he’d had every time he looked at her for months. Out here there wasn’t even a maze to run through to distract him. Although there was water to splash him with if he tried to get too serious.

“What is it?”

“It’s about our future. I don’t want to talk about it here.”

She looked around. If he didn’t want to talk about it here, why did he want to meet her here. She was so tired of playing games and the expectation she would just sneak off with him whenever he wanted. “Here’s pretty nice.”

“It is, but I can do better.” Ah, so this was supposed to be another romantic outing, like the Forgotten Falls. “There’s a place nearby called the Blue Grotto, which used to be the bathing hole for Roman emperors. It’s . . . absolutely breathtaking. I used to go there as a child when my family came to Italy on diplomatic trips. I got to escape the boredom of policy talks, back . . . back when my brother was going to be king instead of me. I’d like to show it to you. That is, if you want to go?”

Liam looked sadly out at the sea. Riley knew this whole thing was a lot of pressure on him and that he still longed for freedom though there would be little of it in his new role. She wanted to say no, but she knew that Madeleine would give him no reprieve from his kingly duties. If she wanted to be friends, they could start here. Maybe. If he could stop trying to be her boyfriend.

“See a slice of your princely childhood? How can I say no to that?”

A look of relief crossed his face, “I had hoped you wouldn’t be able to resist.”

“Wait a second. . . don’t you hate boats?”

“It’s a calm night. Besides, the Blue Grotto is worth the journey.”

They got into the rowboat and started on their adventure. Riley did note that she felt a bit like she was cheating on Drake. Even though they weren’t officially together, and even though she had no romantic notions toward Liam, it felt oddly wrong to be out headed to what was likely a romantic destination with another man.

Liam began rowing, “Let me help,” Riley offered.

“You don’t need to do that!”

“I want to!”

Riley and Liam rowed together.

“Riley. . . I realized at the spa that there seems to be a lot I don’t know about you. You mom for instance . . .”

Riley looked off into the sea and nodded.

“Drake confirmed that he knew your mom had passed, and I can only assume Maxwell and Hana knew as well since they did not seem too surprised.”

“Yes, all three of them knew about my mom before that day. I wasn’t hiding it from you Liam, it just never came up.”

“Do you want to talk about it now?”

“There isn’t much to say. My parents divorced when I was five and my dad left. He lives in California, remarried and has two kids. I stayed with my mom in New York. When I was fifteen, she died rather suddenly of an undiagnosed heart condition. We never saw it coming. After that, I lived with my Aunt Sheila until I graduated from college.”

Liam looked at her thoughtfully as they rowed. “Losing a parent is difficult.”

Riley nodded. “It is, particularly when it is unexpected.”

Liam held her gaze for a moment and then looked out at the sea. “I don’t know. I think it would be hard either way. Thank you for telling me about that part of your life Riley.”

Riley smiled. “Like I said, I wasn’t hiding anything. Besides, I see my role here as giving you the opportunity to be less serious from time to time.”

Liam laughed. Riley dipped her hand over the side of the boat and brought it back up, splashing Liam in the face. He laughed again and shook his head.

“I fear I must make you regret that,” he said, splashing her back. After trading splashes for a moment, he said, “You never do do exactly what I expect.”

“Well, then maybe you should stop expecting things from me.” Riley let her mind settle on that for a moment. Just being Liam and Riley for a bit was fun, but he would never be ‘just Liam,’ and he certainly still seemed to have expectations of her. If they had had more times like this back in the social season, would things be different? If she had been able to call Liam and ask him to hang out, like she had with Drake, would Liam have won her over? Although it would have been nice if Liam had actually talked to her more or really tried to get to know her, she knew that it wasn’t only opportunity that had drawn her to Drake. They were two very different men, and knowing both of them, there was a reason she had sought Drake out and avoided time with Liam.

They approach a small dark spot on the face of a cliff of an island. Riley began to worry a bit.

“Is that it? It’s barely big enough for the boat!”

“Don’t worry, I’ve taken this boat through before.”

They both ducked low and cleared the small opening. Riley looked around at the cavern they had entered. It was a stunningly luminescent blue, from the water to the walls. Riley gasped as she took it all in.

“It’s as beautiful as you said.”

After a quiet moment, appreciating the beauty, Liam looked to Riley. “So . . .”

“What?”

Liam blushed. “I believe this occasion calls for . . . er . . . disrobing.”

“Liam! You told me you wanted to talk, and you said you had a better place than a perfectly nice beach in Italy. There was  _ nothing _ in that conversation about undressing.”

Liam look struck. “I didn’t mean . . . I’m sorry Riley. I just. . . There’s something I want to show you, but we have to swim to it.”

“You can, but I will be staying here in the boat, fully clothed. Or you can take me back right now.” Riley crossed her arms and stared him down.

Liam looked down sadly. “I’ve offended you. I’m very sorry Lady Riley. Give me just a moment.”

Riley didn’t answer, but Liam stripped down and dove elegantly into the water. She watched for him to surface, but didn’t see or hear anything.

“. . . Liam? Liam! Okay, you’re starting to scare me!”

“Over here!” He called out. 

“Oh, there you are!” Riley breathed a sigh of relief, but her annoyance with him had come back to the surface. He was swimming back to the boat now and Riley tried to regain her composure.

When he reached the boat, he popped up next to it, but didn’t get back inside. “I have something I want to show you.”

He held his hand out and showed her a beautiful, perfectly round pearl.

“That’s lovely! How did you find it so quickly?”

“I was here last year with my brother, and I found it while we were diving. He told me it would win the heart of any woman I gave it to. But there wasn’t anyone in my life I wanted to win over. So I left it here, hiding it back in one of the crags. I thought that if it was meant to be, I’d find it again. Knowing that it was here . . . and that I finally had someone I wanted to give it to, well I couldn’t wait to see if I could locate it once more. It sounds rather silly now that I’m saying all of this out loud to you . . . but . . . would it please you to have this?”

A wave of sadness passed through Riley. It was such a beautiful story and clearly meant so much to him.

“This pearl? Oh, Liam, I can’t accept this. And . . . I can’t tell you what you want to hear Liam. I can’t say that this is what I want.”

“Then I will hold onto it, and hope for a time when you might accept it.”

Riley sighed deeply. Liam pointed to a flat rock a ways off. “Think you can row the boat over there? I’m afraid I’d tip it over if I tried to climb back in.”

“I think I can manage.”

“Good. I’m not ready to give you up just yet.”

Riley rowed over to the rock and got out to sit. Liam swam over and sat beside her. They were both quiet for a while.

“Wasn’t there something you wanted to talk about?” Riley asked.

“Yes, I’ve . . . perhaps been avoiding it. These past few weeks have been so hard on both of us. I have been putting one foot in front of the other to get through it, but . . . living like this . . .it isn’t fair to you. I’ve never felt so powerless. There’s only one action that I can take to change this.”

Riley searched her mind for anything they could do differently at this point and came up empty. “And what’s that?”

“Abdicating the throne.”

“What?!” Riley couldn’t believe he’d just said that. Of all the . . . 

“Ever since my brother abdicated, I’ve known I would marry for the benefit of Cordonia. I had made peace with that. But then I met you, and I allowed myself to hope that I could marry for Cordonia and for love. Now . . .I don’t want a loveless marriage, and I’ll never have anything more than that with Madeleine. There’s this thought I can’t shake off . . . what our life could look like together. You and I. Without the court and the Crown.”

As much as Riley wanted to disabuse Liam of any notion that they were going to be together at the end of this, she knew he wouldn’t let go of whatever this thought was without an opportunity to work through it and come to his own conclusions. She closed her eyes and bit back the harsh words she wanted to unleash on him.

“What does it look like?” she asked carefully.

“The parts I know? We elope and get married in a small, private ceremony with only Drake, Hana, and Maxwell as witnesses. Maybe on a beach somewhere, like the one you took us to the night we met. You’d look beautiful with the sea breeze blowing through your hair.”

“And then?”

“Then we quietly settle into our new lives.” 

There it was. The end of the fantasy, because it was just a fantasy that there was some simple life they could live. Riley was also annoyed that her main role in this fantasy was to stand there looking pretty. She decided to push him to the natural resolution here.

“Where are we settling into?”

“You tell me.”

“Cordonia with our friends? New York? Nowhere in particular. Come on, Liam. This is your fantasy.”

He looked uncomfortable as he worked it out in his brain. Obviously the ‘happily ever after’ part of this daydream had no concrete details.“Cordonia then. We’d have a house by the sea and dinner parties with our friends every week. Hana could play the piano while Drake makes drinks, and Maxwell would pick the entertainment.”

“I think Maxwell would _ be _ the entertainment.”

“And would we have day jobs or simply retire to a life of leisure?”

“Well . . . we probably wouldn’t get to take the crown’s funding with us. Think you could be a teacher?”

Liam actually looked alarmed. “I suppose I hadn’t considered the financial impact. . . Leo’s wife inherited a significant fortune and his lifestyle has not actually . . . changed . . . much. But a teacher? What would I teach?”

Riley sighed. “History and political science, of course. Who better to teach political science than a former king?” She paused, unsure if she should bring this up. “I would have appreciated learning from someone who had actually run a country in college.” 

When a confused look crossed his features, she added, “You know my degree is in political science, right?” Surely that much must have been in the research she knew the crown had done on her?

Liam’s jaw dropped. “I did not . . . That might have gone a lot further in convincing my father you would make a suitable queen. Did you go to university in New York or did you leave home?”

“New York. At Columbia actually.”

“Is this something else the rest of our friends knew about you that I didn't?”

“Well, Maxwell and Bertrand did. I told them on the way to the derby when Bertrand was trying to lecture me about something. I told Drake . . . at Applewood, when he was teaching me to ride. I don’t think I told Hana where I went to school. Only what my degree is in and that I had intended to go to law school.”

“Law school? Really? And  _ Drake _ taught you how to ride a horse? This summer?”

“Yes. There aren’t very many horses or opportunities to ride in New York City.”

Liam looked away thoughtfully. “So, I’m teaching history and political science somewhere near the Cordonian coast? It’s a nice thought, isn’t it?”

“It is a nice thought Liam, but it’s not who you are. You can’t abdicate. You wouldn’t be happy if you gave up the throne and . . . you wouldn’t be you. You know that.”

“I . . . I know you’re right, Riley, but . . . what if things never get better? If I do marry Madeleine, can you go on like this? Stealing moments, meeting in secret?”

“Liam . . . I need you to understand that I’m  _ never _ going to be your mistress. Not now and certainly not if you marry Madeleine. I deserve much more than that. It’s kind of upsetting that you would even ask that of me. And Liam, the hard truth here is that whatever you do or do not have with Madeleine, this fantasy you have in your head about us, is just that. This isn’t what I want for my life. As you’ve discovered, you don’t actually know me that well. The few facts about my life you learned tonight are things that Drake, Hana, Maxwell, and even Bertrand knew about months ago - because they talked to me. I do want to be your friend though. That’s the only reason I’m here right now. To be your friend, not your secret girlfriend.”

“I understand. It’s too much to ask. I can’t say that I don’t hope you’ll reconsider, but I will respect your choice.”

Riley couldn’t believe he was still hoping to carry on a relationship in secret that didn’t even exist. Apparently she needed to be more direct. “Even if that choice is not being with you? Ever. After I clear my name I mean.”

Liam looked stricken. “I . . . it’s always your choice Riley, but I think I’ve been pretty clear how I hope this ends. Besides, it’s far more important that we uncover all of those plotting against us. Until then . . . your safety must be our only concern.”

Riley bit her tongue. She wanted to remind him that the plots were against her and Olivia, not him. His reputation wasn’t trashed and he wasn’t being blackmailed. The worst that would happen to Liam was a loveless marriage to Madeleine, who seemed happy to let him fool around with whoever struck his fancy.

“Liam, it’s getting late. I think we should get back to the train.”

“You’re right.”

They got back into the boat and rowed back to the mainland, mostly in quiet thoughtfulness. It wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, but Riley was very grateful to make it back to the train and when they went in different directions toward their sleeping cars. Riley opened the sliding door to the car with her suite and was greeted with the welcome sight of Drake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, now that you made it to the end of this ridiculously long chapter, I have notes! This crammed in a lot of stuff, but this was the only way to include all the scenes I wanted to include and still add my own original scenes. I obsessed for far too long trying to figure out which city in Italy they were in. I think, based on the skyline, that it might have been Venice, which would have made sense for a one day train ride, since I mentally place Cordonia where Slovenia is. But, the blue grotto is on the island of Capri, which is where Maxwell told Riley they would be going in the airport. So . . . that's how I landed on Sorrento. I also really liked the idea of Mount Vesuvius looming over Riley at this point. I'm also really tired of PB acting like they can teleport places (I'm looking at you flying from New York to LA and back before dinner!), so I added a travel day.
> 
> Liam, Liam, Liam. I hate that Riley leads him on a bit in this chapter, and then that he's totally oblivious to her not being interested in him. Hopefully her reasoning makes a little bit of sense, even if what we all want her to just tell him she doesn't love him.


	32. Two Nights in Italy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riley and Drake get closer as dinner in Sorrento and a day in Rome definitely start feeling very date-like. Maxwell and Drake join the girls for a chocolate party after Madeleine abandons her own bachelorette party. Drake and Hana bond.

Drake had been back in the train compartment he shared with Maxwell for an hour before Maxwell got back.

“Hey best friend roomie! You won’t believe what just happened! Riley and I found the photographer and then we chased her through the city! It was awesome! I’m already thinking of a playlist inspired by it. Seriously, though, it could have been a scene from a movie! Maybe it  _ will _ be a movie!”

Maxwell droned on about their chase for another twenty minutes, complete with reenactments before he finally mentioned that they had got some information from the photographer about the credit card used to pay her. Drake perked up.

“So, you think we can use that info to track down which noble lady set Riley up?”

“Maybe!”

Drake looked up the tour itinerary to figure out what was coming up and realized that they had almost the entire day free in Rome tomorrow. He wasn’t a huge fan of Rome. Seemed like a lot of old stuff where people waited in line forever just to walk around and say, ‘Wow, things used to happen here.’ Drake never saw the point in any of it. But Riley had never seen any of it, so he would probably tag along so she could see whatever she wanted. 

When Maxwell started dancing again, Drake decided to go look for Riley. It was getting late and he was pretty hungry. The fancy dinner was hardly filling, so maybe she was hungry too. He went by her room, but she wasn’t there. Huh. He was about to go look in the dining car when Riley slid open the door to the car. She was still wearing the red dress from dinner, but looked tired and a little wet. Drake almost apologized and let her go rest, but her face lit up with a bright smile when she saw him and he couldn’t help himself. 

“Brooks.”

“Oh, hey, Drake. Where are you going this late?”

She had a point. It was after ten o’clock . . . but . . .

“To get a real meal. I don’t know about you, but I don’t ‘get’ fancy food. That stuff was designed to impress my eyes, not actually feed me. I was looking for you to see if you wanted to join me at whatever place I find, but be warned, after tonight, I’m in the mood for something with a Michelin rating of zero. If it doesn’t bother you, then I can promise a full stomach and decent conversation.”

Riley’s eyes sparkled, “You mean you’ll actually tell me more about yourself?”

Drake thought she might be disappointed to find that she pretty much knew everything about him at this point. The only people who knew more were Liam and Savannah. “Whatever secrets that’ve made it this far, sure.”

“I’d love to, I could definitely use a bite to eat. But I’ve seriously got to change. Wait here?”

“Yeah, sure.”

A few minutes later, Riley reappeared in jeans and a dark blue top that made her eyes seem even more blue, and she had taken her hair down. She always looked stunning in the fancy gowns, but there was something far more irresistible about her in her everyday, casual clothes.

“Alright . . . let’s go!”

“Right this way then.”

They passed by Bastien on the way out, who merely raised an eyebrow and then nodded. A block away from the train, Riley took his hand and leaned against him. It felt so right to be with her like this. He wished more than anything they could just take off together for a romantic trip through Italy without having to attend any stupid diplomatic events or put up with Madeleine strutting around like she’d already been crowned. But they seemed to be making progress on the investigation and hopefully soon, Riley would be free from the conspiracy and they could all move on to whatever came next. In the meantime, he would take whatever moments with Riley he could get. 

A few blocks further, the unmistakable smell of fresh food wafted through the air, and Drake made an abrupt turn to follow it. Sure enough, a tiny restaurant, tucked in between shops still had their lights on. He grinned at Riley and pulled her inside. They were greeted by a short, middle-aged man who greeted them warmly and led them to a cozy booth. Riley slid in next to him and relaxed.

“So this is more your style?” she asked.

She knew it was. “A menu, a table, and the promising smell of good food. That’s all I want.” And her. He wanted her. This was pretty much perfect. Just then, the waiter returned and spoke to them in Italian.

“Errr. . .”

Riley laughed. “Didn’t think through your plan, did you?”

“No, no. I’ve got this.” Drake turned to the waiter. “Spaghetti and pizza.” The man nodded and disappeared to the back.

Riley grinned at him, “Nice one.”

“Thank you, thank you. You’ve seen my survival skills in action.”

“But you forgot the lasagna.”

“Ah well, my vocabulary must be too limited. I’ll remember that next time.”

“So do you do this often?”

“This isn’t my first time going rogue. When you follow Liam around, you end up in foreign lands pretty often.”

“And at fancy parties with too-fancy food?”

“All the time!”

She scooted closer. “Well, now you’ve got me for company.”

For a moment he imagined what the last few years would have been like if Riley had been with him. All those trips and events would have been a hell of a lot more bearable and maybe even fun. Although, there were a few things he was glad she wasn’t there to see, like the trip to Iceland. . . 

“That means more pressure not to make myself look like a fool.”

“You could never not make yourself look like a fool in front of me.”

“Gee, thanks Brooks.” Maybe he really had been kidding himself. He was sure Liam never looked like a fool in front of anyone.

“Hey, you don’t have to  _ worry _ about looking like a fool if you already are one.” 

Somehow . . . that did not make it better. Fortunately, that line of conversation ended with the food being brought out. It smelled amazing. The waiter gave them each a bowl of piping hot spaghetti carbonara and one pizza with large slices of mozzarella. Drake smiled and nodded. The waiter looked quickly between Riley and Drake with a warm smile and left the room, leaving Drake and Riley alone in the restaurant. Drake took a bite of the pizza and melted into the delicious authentic Italian flavors.

“That’s exactly what I needed. Simple, delicious, and filing.”

Riley was rolling spaghetti and her fork and bit into it happily.

“Oh my god, this is amazing! I mean, we have some restaurants that come close, but . . . wow, that is good.”

“You can always trust me to find the right food.”

“Is that your superpower?” she asked with a laugh.

“You know . . . if I can’t have super strength, I’ll take on an uncanny sense for finding great meals.”

“A very practical power.”

“So . . .,” Riley leaned in closer, resting her hand on Drake’s leg. Suddenly, he lost all ability to think or speak. “Is this a secret date?”

Well . . . that just put a whole lot more pressure on this meal. “What?”

“A nice meal at an Italian restaurant  _ you _ invited me to.”

Did she want it to be a date? What if she didn’t. Afraid of saying the wrong thing, Drake just answered, “I invited you for food. Because I thought you were hungry. Normal people eat when they’re hungry.” He realized he was rambling, but she was making it extremely hard to concentrate.

Riley shrugged. “I’m okay with it. In fact, I don’t see why it has to be secret at all.”

“I . . . er. . .” Very hard to concentrate. Her hand wandered higher along his thigh. “You’re killing me Brooks.”

She smirked at him, but removed her hand.

“I’m serious. Our lives would be a lot easier if we just tell people we’re together. Madeleine is practically shoving the other girls at eligible men, but no, not me. I’m supposed to stay single so I can be Liam’s mistress.” He didn’t miss the bite in her tone. 

“She  _ said _ that?” Right then he hated Madeleine even more.

“Not in those words exactly, but that’s what she meant. She and Liam. They apparently worked it out between them. Without consulting me, of course.”

Drake knew that Liam intended to continue to pursue Riley, but he thought she had already shut that down, at least while he was still engaged. “Are you sure that’s what he meant? I thought you already told him you didn’t want that.”

“Yes, I’m sure. He was pretty clear. And tonight was the second time he brought it up. He sort of . . . alluded to the idea back in Fydelia and I said no. Then he asked more directly tonight. When I told him that I had no interest in that, he said he ‘hoped I’d reconsider,’ especially if I don’t clear my name and he marries Madeleine.”

Drake was dumbstruck. Liam had never been the type of guy to just . . . use girls, or date more than one person at a time. He was far too much of a romantic. And maybe that was the problem . . . Liam was still caught up in his romantic notions about Riley. He kind of understood, it’s not like there was any hope of a real relationship with Madeleine, but if Riley said no, why was he still asking? But then again, if she didn’t want that, why was she meeting up with him? Maybe she still didn’t know what she wanted or who she really wanted to be with.

“Anyway,” Riley continued, “I told him I deserve more than that.”

“You do,” Drake agreed, meeting her eyes. He wiped a smear of sauce from his face.

“Hey, I just realized something. We didn’t have to dodge any palace security guards to get out here. I was practically interrogated by one of them when I went to meet Liam earlier. Do they let you come and go as you please?”

“I’m nowhere near as important as Liam. But Bastien also knows me. He knows I can take care of myself . . . and you.”

“Really? Bastien trusts you?”

“Yeah. Don’t sound so surprised. We kind of go way back.”

A huge smile broke out on Riley’s face as she sat up straighter. “Story time!” She grabbed a slice of pizza and looked at him expectantly. Well, he walked right into that one.

“ . . . I didn’t mean for this to turn into some sharing circle.”

“Too late. You already tipped your hand. You’re usually much more careful than this, Drake,” she said with a wink.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Brooks. Ever since I met you I’ve been telling you everything you asked about and more. In fact, other than my family and Liam, I’m pretty sure you know more about me than anyone.”

“Even Maxwell?”

Drake thought about that for a minute. He’d known Maxwell a very long time, but they hadn’t been close before this summer and she probably knew more personal stuff than Maxwell. “Yeah, even Maxwell. What is it about tonight that has me in a sharing mood?”

“Maybe the company.” 

Oh yes. It was definitely the company. He wouldn’t talk this much to anyone else. Drake couldn’t stop the smile from creeping onto his face, but he tried to suppress it, when he couldn’t he just shook his head and looked down. Finally, his composure regained, he looked back at Riley and locked eyes with her. 

“I want to give you a hard time, Brooks, but the truth is I’m just so damned glad to spend some time with you away from that circus.”

“Mmmhmm, like on a date,” she said suggestively.

“I . . .” If she  _ wanted _ it to be a date . . . 

“Drake . . .” she moved closer again and brushed her fingers lightly across his hand. He could smell her perfume and it drove him crazy. Just being this close to her made him slightly dizzy. He wanted her so badly, but . . . she’d already had to tell Liam off tonight and she seemed like she wanted stories . . . so he tried to shake off the electric charge in the air and the fuzzy feeling clouding his brain.

He cleared his throat. “So, you wanted to know about Bastien.” Her eyes were still locked on his, as if every word he said was the most interesting thing she’d ever heard. No one had ever  _ looked _ at him like that. “Bastien was my father’s junior agent in the King’s Guard, so I’d see him around pretty often. Bastien didn’t have any family at court, so he’d join us for dinner. He’d even watch me and Savannah sometimes when we were younger.”

“That’s cute. How was he as a babysitter?”

“Surprisingly lenient. The opposite of how he is while on duty. He’d let us eat chocolate chip cookies and watch cartoons all night.”

“Awww. . .”

“He and my father were close. I think after my father died on duty, Bastien took it upon himself to look out for me.”

“How did your dad die, Drake?” She asked quietly.

Drake steeled himself. “Have you ever heard of the Liberation Core?”

“It sounds familiar, but it was probably in one of Bertrand’s longer lessons that I started to space out on.”

“Well, they're a well known anti-monarchist terrorist organization. They have cells in all the European countries that are still monarchies, but they got pretty bold in Cordonia about fifteen years ago. King Constantine was out making appearances for some event or something in Portavira. My dad . . . there was chatter of an attempt on the King’s life, my dad pushed him back into the car, but was caught by a bullet.”

“Oh, I’m sorry!”

“It was hard, but I got through it.”

“Tell me more about your dad.”

“Tough, honest, with a firm but fair way of handling things. Growing up, it seemed like there was nothing he couldn’t do.”

“You really looked up to him, didn’t you?”

“Yeah… if Savannah idolized the courtly life, I idolized him and the King’s Guard. So, yeah. Dad died. You know my Mom eventually went back to the U.S. She was… struggling. Bastien was as present as he could be, but his duties kept him busy. I stayed at court with Savannah. Liam’s family kind of took us in.”

“And Bastien’s looked out for you all this time?”

“He’s a model of duty. If there’s something you need done, he’ll do it for you. He’s more dedicated to his job than anyone I’ve ever seen. I don’t think he has many friends, but he always made time for me.”

“Was he like a father figure to you?”

“More like . . . an uncle. But a good uncle I could always go to. It’s nice. He’s one of the few who’s also on the outside looking into this strange noble world.”

Riley nodded. In a way, she was outside looking in too. “You must be close.”

“In an unusual way, yeah. He knows I’m always looking out for Liam, so he lets me help him.”

Talking about Bastien felt so strange right now. He’d always trusted Bastien, at least as much as he trusted anyone, but after everything that happened, Drake was starting to wonder if that trust was misplaced.

“Huh. Actually . . . Drake, what do you  _ do _ at the palace?”

“I do lots of things. I do things all the time.” 

“Like?”

Make sure Liam eats. Make sure Liam doesn’t take himself too seriously and get depressed again. Train and work out in case there’s another assiasination attempt. But she was right . . . the list of activities was getting smaller by the day. Drake also wasn’t sure how much she knew about the last assasination attempt or how much Liam wanted her to know about it.

“Er, well, it’s hard to put into a single title.”

“How about ‘Trusted Companion’?”

“Kind of makes me sound like Liam’s dog . . . “

Riley laughed. “Okay, okay. That’s not what I meant! How about ‘Professional Best Friend’?”

“I kind of like that.”

“Don’t dodge the question!”

“Really, what does it matter?”

“Come on. I want to know what you do on an average day. It’s not all sulking at noble’s parties, is it? If that’s all there was to it, I know you . . . you would’ve left a long time ago.”

Drake fiddled with his napkin and looked away. This was it. The last big thing she didn’t know about.

“I  _ did _ leave . . . for a while.”

Riley’s jaw dropped. “Really?”

He took a deep breath. Why was this so much harder to talk about than his dad or when his mom left?

“When I got older, I thought it was time to make it on my own. I went to college.”

“You didn’t want to join the King’s Guard?”

Drake shook his head. “Not by then. They’re experienced security agents. I would’ve had to cut my teeth protecting some stuck up nobles first. Bastien keeps offering to help me find a position I won’t hate, but . . .”

“You’d hate any assignment besides Liam.”

“Yeah. So, I decided to build a life away from court.”

“Where did you go to school? Are there universities in Cordonia? That’s probably a stupid question.”

“There are . . . but I actually went to the US.”

“What?!”

“I was born there, so I still have citizenship. I went to Texas because I knew it the best, but mostly stayed away from my mom. It made the most sense at the time.”

“Too bad you didn’t go to Columbia, we could have met back then.”

Drake shook his head. “New York? No way. Too many people in not enough space.”

Riley sighed. “I was right then.”

“About?”

“Right after the Coronation, when I thought I was going back to New York . . . I fantasized that you might come with me. But, like I told you, I thought you’d never abandon Liam, so . . . I didn’t call to ask. I know you said you would have come to find me, but you’re right, you’d hate living in the City.”

Drake didn’t know what to say to that. Would he have gone permanently if she’d asked? Would he have walked away from Liam during all this if it meant being with her. Which way would gravity have pulled him?

“I don’t know Brooks, I managed to walk away once before, maybe I could do it again.”

“You really thought you’d left for good?”

Drake nodded. “Liam and I started to drift apart. I was finally living in the outside world, and he was busier than ever being introduced at court.”

“What happened?”

“Well . . .” 

Drake took another big breath as the memories washed over him. Seeing the reports on the news, not being able to get ahold of anyone. Liam’s flat voice anytime they talked over the next few months. Leo convincing him to come home. Breaking up with Hailey over the phone. Liam’s dead stare. The weeks of trying to coax Liam out of his room for anything other than official appearances. Next to the year after his dad died and his mom left, that year had been the worst and darkest of his life. Drake realized his leg was shaking and his hand was still fidgeting with the napkin. Riley put a hand on his leg to still it. Her eyes met his, large and sympathetic.

“There was another assassination attempt on the royal family,  _ including _ Liam.”

Riley gasped and reached for his hand. “No . . .”

He held her hand tightly. “The King’s Guard stopped it before anyone was injured, but it still shook Liam.”

“He never told me about this.”

“It doesn’t really come up in casual conversation. Besides, I don’t think he wants to remember those times . . . it was rough. He seemed fine to most people, but his brother dropped by my campus one night in the royal family’s private jet asking if I could come back. He was worried about Liam. Behind closed doors, Liam was not himself. He wasn’t eating and was growing distant. I knew I had to be there for him. Things were bad . . . he needed me.”

“Wow. . . It must’ve been hard to give up your outside life.”

Yes. Really hard. 

Drake just shrugged. “He’s my best friend. I had to do it. After that, I never really left. When I saw how things were at court for Liam, I knew I couldn’t leave him to these sharks. Liam plays the game well, but his heart’s not in it. He’d rather focus on the needs of the Cordonian citizens than reading press statements and attending parties. He needs someone cynical like me to have his back.”

Or at least he did. Drake pondered how much things had changed in the last month. If Riley was going to be queen, things would be different. He would either move on and figure out what to do with Liam’s help, or stay and look out for both of them. But with Madeleine around, the anxious feeling of needing to move on was tenfold. That still left the question of who would have Liam’s back, not because they were paid to, but because they cared about him?

Riley put her other hand on top of the one she was already holding and leaned into Drake’s side. “You’re a good friend to Liam.”

Drake looked down at her and gave a halfhearted smile. He was definitely not being a good friend right now.

“. . . Most of the time.”

Riley tilted her face up just enough to catch him in a soft, sweet kiss. It caught him off-guard, but satisfied the longing he’d been feeling being close to her all night.

“Brooks. . .”

Riley reached over and ran a hand through his hair, landing on the back of his neck. She pulled him down to meet her in a far more passionate kiss. He let go of her hand and circled her waist with his arms, pulling her as close as they could get sitting in the booth. God, he would never get enough of her.

Eventually, she pulled away with a bright smile, still pressing her body into his. She brushed her cheek against his.

“Still full of surprises, tonight,” he whispered in her ear and he felt her resulting shiver.

Riley smiled and melted against him. “You can’t just take me to dinner, pour out your fluffy marshmallow heart out, and not expect me to fall a little more for you, Drake.”

Drake looked down into her face. “You’re right, What was I thinking,” he murmured before brushing his lips against hers again. It turned into a long, slow, lingering kiss he could have stayed in forever. The sound of footsteps interrupted them and the waiter smiled at them with kind eyes and left the check on the table before bowing and hurrying away, clearly not wanting to interrupt them.

Riley was still smiling at him dreamily. “Well. Thank you for a wonderful evening. I never thought I’d learn so much about the elusive Drake Walker.”

“Sure Brooks. At this point, you know just about all there is to know.”

Riley shook her head. “No, this was different. I can tell that it was hard for you to talk about those times in your life. I’m glad that you felt comfortable sharing it with me.”

“Yeah, sorry, it was a lot to drop on you all at once.” He reached for the check. “Let me cover it.”

“Did you just offer to pick up the check?” 

Riley looked at him in surprise. Why was she surprised? He was pretty sure people treated other people to dinner in the US too.

“Well, yeah. I guess I did. It’s the least I can do after talking your ear off all night. I’m not the king or anything, but I can afford a handful of euros, Brooks.” As if to prove his point, he opened his wallet and dropped the cash on the table next to the check.

“Sharing your feelings didn’t bother me. But you do realize that picking up the check officially makes this a date.”

“Well, at least the sob story didn’t bother you.”

“It could never bother me.”

“Thanks, Brooks. We should probably head back. It’s getting late.”

“And I’m full!” 

Drake slid out of the booth and offered her a hand up. “What did I tell you?”

They made their way out, hand in hand. She was right, this felt very much like a date, so . . . he dropped her hand and put an arm around her waist instead. Riley slid her arm around him and leaned against his shoulder as they walked. Suddenly the butterflies were back and Drake felt slightly giddy. There was something . . . different about things today. It was like they could be any normal couple walking around Italy.

“Hey, Brooks, thanks for coming with me tonight.”

“Anytime, Drake.”

“I might take you up on that.”

“Does that mean you’re admitting this was a date? And that there will be more?”

“How ‘bout we revisit this conversation after your name is cleared?”

“. . . Okay.”

All too soon they were a block away from the train and sadly stepped away from each other. Riley looked at him with a wicked grin. “Race you back.” And she took off running.

*************

Drake arrived back at his sleeping car after walking Riley back to hers. Everyday it was getting harder to come up with a reason for them to wait to be together. But if any part of her still wanted a chance to be with Liam, it was better to let her have that chance.

Maxwell looked up when Drake walked in the room. “Oh hey, best friend roomie.”

“You know Liam is my best friend, right.”

“People can have more than one best friend. And you already admitted it at the Beaumont Bash. Hey. Why are you smiling? Where were you?”

“I told you before I left. I got dinner, real dinner.”

“And you’re . . . extra happy about pasta?”

Unable to stop himself from grinning like an idiot, Drake answered, “Yep. Extra happy about pasta.”

“Uh huh. And does ‘pasta’ have dark hair, blue eyes and a name that rhymes with . . . smiley?”

Drake was caught off guard. What did Maxwell know? He’d insinuated he knew about them before, but was he guessing or had Riley told him something? Drake must have hesitated for too long because Maxwell kept talking.

“That’s what I thought.”

***************

The next morning, the train had arrived in Rome. Drake was sipping his coffee in the dining car when Riley slid into the seat across from him with a big smile. He couldn’t help but smile back, so he looked down into his coffee and hid the smile behind a sip.

“Morning Brooks. You’re in a good mood.”

“Yep. So . . . Maxwell is being dragged off to a meeting with Liam and Bertrand, and Hana is busy preparing something mysterious for Madeleine’s bachelorette party tonight. And the investigation is on hold until I can check the ladies’ credit card numbers tonight.”

“Okay.”

She grinned at him. “That leaves you and me free in Rome for the day. I just have to be back for my meeting with Justin before Madeleine's party.”

Huh. A whole day to themselves without Maxwell’s antics? Drake couldn’t believe his luck. 

“So what do you want to see, Brooks?”

Riley looked at him with a smile that said she had an idea. It was almost as unnerving as Maxwell’s idea face and he didn’t know if he should be excited or worried.

“How many times have you been to Rome, Drake?”

“Oh. I dunno. Five or six.”

“I’m willing to bet you’ve seen the sights then.”

“Yeah, I guess. I never made a huge effort. And I’ve mostly been on my own, so . . . I didn’t really do the tourist stuff.”

“Just a ‘bunch of old rocks that stopped being useful centuries ago’? Like the ruins in Cordonia?”

“Basically. My opinions haven’t changed much when it comes to that. Sorry I’m not more . . . cultured.”

She’d probably enjoy this trip a lot more with Liam to show her around. He’d studied all the history and could probably do a better job than any tour guide. Suddenly Drake was brought back to attention by a sharp slap against his arm.

“Stop doing that!” Riley snapped.

“Ow! Okay! What am I supposed to stop doing?”

“Apologizing for being yourself.” She lowered her voice so that only they could hear. “I know where your mind is going Drake. If I wanted to be with Liam, I would be. I don’t. So stop comparing yourself.” How did she . . . ? “Anyway, I don’t need to wait in lines with a bunch of tourists all day either. Maybe someday, but if we only get today, I don’t want it to be rushed or to do anything you don’t want to do . . . so I had an idea.”

“Are you sure, Brooks? I mean, you might not get another chance. . .”

“I’m sure. We’ll go snap a selfie with the Colosseum in the background, that’s all I’d really care about seeing anyway. I’m a little curious how they flooded it and got whole naval ships in there. . . But anyway, that’s not my idea. I was thinking we would put your superpower to use. We can wander our way through Rome and you can find us the best food to eat. I doubt there will be any real food at Madeleine’s party tonight, which means I should carb-load now, right?”

Drake stared at her blankly. “You’re serious?” She nodded. “It’s your first time in Italy and on the only day in Rome, you just want to hang out with me and eat food?”

“Unless you have a better idea. . .”

If they weren’t still sitting on the royal train with half the court in the room, he would have kissed her. She was without a doubt, the most perfect woman on the planet. “No Brooks, I don’t think I could come up with a better idea than that.”

Riley beamed across the table at him. “Great! I’ll meet you out front in fifteen minutes? Don’t eat breakfast - I’m expecting a full days worth of meals.” She didn’t wait for his response, just slid out of the seat and sauntered off.

************************

After the best possible day with Riley, eating their way through Rome, Drake was back in his sleeper car flipping through pictures on his phone while she met with Bertrand and Justin. Riley had insisted that he take all the pictures in case the conspirators were monitoring her phone somehow and they managed to use something against her.

A moment later, Maxwell burst through the door.

“Drake! There you are! What are you looking at?”

Drake quickly shut his phone off and shoved it in his pocket. “Nothing.”

“Oh, okay.” Maxwell’s shifting had turned into actual dancing at this point. “How was your date with Riley today?”

“What?! It wasn’t a . . . I mean . . .” Drake sputtered.

Maxwell looked disappointed. “Oh, I thought that since Hana and I were busy, maybe . . .”

“Yeah, I was with Riley today, but can we not call it a date. . . please?”

“Lemme see the pictures you were looking at when I came in.”

“What? Why?”

Maxwell gave Drake a knowing smile. “So I can tell you if it was a date or not.”

“How do you know I was looking at pictures from today? It could have been anything. . . probably porn.”

Maxwell looked at him very seriously, “Then you’re doing it wrong.”

Drake had already looked at the pictures a dozen or so times. He knew what they looked like. He knew they looked like a couple traveling through Italy together.

_ “Hey, we should ask that guy over there to take a picture of us?” Riley said. _

_ “You want me to hand my phone over to a random stranger?” _

_ “Come on Drake, he’s not going to steal your phone. And you can’t see the background with a selfie.” _

_ “Fine,” Drake grumbled. _

_ He asked the guy to take their picture. They posed a few feet back, arms around each other. Right before the random man taking their picture finished his countdown, Riley stood on her tip toe and kissed him on the cheek, taking Drake by surprise. Riley laughed and pulled him down to kiss him properly before collecting Drake’s phone back and checking the pictures.  _

_ “Hey Brooks, give me my phone back now.” _

_ “Just a second, I’m looking. Awwwwwww! Look at us!” _

_ She held out the phone. The man had taken three pictures. The first one was Riley kissing his cheek. The second picture was immediately afterwards, and they were looking at each other each with an expression that could only be called love, and finally a picture of the kiss that followed. _

_ Drake smiled in spite of himself, but schooled his face when he saw Riley grinning at him. “Yep good pictures.” _

_ “When we solve this whole thing, you’ll need to send them to me. But for now, I believe I was promised gelato.” _

_ “As you wish.” Drake took her hand without even thinking twice about it and led her away from the crowds surrounding the Colosseum. _

“I think I’d know if it was a date or not. Also, aren’t you still pushing her to marry Liam at the end of all this?”

“And aren’t you hoping she won’t?”

Drake didn’t have an answer to that that he could say out loud, so he said nothing.

“Well, your ambiguous relationship with Riley aside, wanna come to the pet store with me?”

“Do I want to know?”

“I told Riley I would pick up some supplies for Chance while she’s out doing all the detective work.”

None of those words made sense. “I think I’m missing some critical information in this conversation.”

“Riley adopted a corgi named Chance.” She did what now? When did this happen? He literally saw her an hour ago. “But she had to go to Madeleine’s thing, so I offered to go pick up supplies. Let’s go!”

**************

Two hours later, they were unloading several bags of pet supplies into Riley’s room. Maxwell had already made a playlist of songs for Chance and insisted on previewing it while setting up his space. Maxwell rearranged it several times, claiming the Feng Shui wasn’t right.

“I still can’t believe you talked her into adopting a dog while we’re in a different country, living on a train.”

“Not just a dog. The cutest most adorable dog in the world. And Bertrand wouldn’t let me keep him.”

“Still seems like bad timing.”

“It’s never a bad time for corgis. Besides, Justin said it was a good idea.”

“Did he? Knew I didn’t like that guy.”

“What’s wrong Drake? Don’t you like dogs?”

“Sure. Just not usually on trains.”

While Maxwell was rearranging the room yet again, Drake’s phone rang. With the electronic communications ban between their group of friends, it startled him a bit. He was even more surprised to see that it was Riley calling.

“Hey! Brooks? What’s going on?”

Maxwell looked up in alarm.

“Drake! So Madeleine is still campaigning for bitch of the century and walked out of Hana’s activity tonight and Hana is devastated. It’s chocolate fondue. Can you and Maxwell come?”

Drake looked up at Maxwell’s worried face. He covered the mic on the phone. “Want to go to a chocolate party with the girls? Madeleine and her posse ditched them.”

“Hell yeah, let’s go.”

****************

When they arrived at the pastry shop, Maxwell threw open the doors and shouted, “Chocolate PAAARTYYYYYYY! This might be my favorite kind of party!”

Drake rolled his eyes, “Every party is your favorite kind of party, Maxwell.”

“You’re not wrong,” Maxwell said with a gleam in his eye.

Hana rushed over and hugged each of them, “Thank you for coming, guys. I hope you weren’t already busy . . .”

“Nothing is more important to me than chocolate entering my bloodstream,” Maxwell said happily. “Except maybe helping my friends.”

Olivia sauntered over to them. What was she doing here? “And you know Drake didn’t have anything better to do. What  _ do _ you do all day when you’re not complaining about the nobility while benefiting from Liam’s hospitality?”

Drake glared at her. “Hey! I do . . . stuff.” He knew she was just trying to get under his skin, but this particular topic was a bit of a sore point at the moment and he didn’t have much patience for that anymore. “Why are you here, anyway? Shouldn’t you be off licking Madeleine’s boot?”

Riley appeared between Drake and Olivia, “Hey, can we try to keep it civil? For Hana’s sake?” She gave Drake a pointed look.

“Fine,” Drake said through gritted teeth.

“Whatever,” Olivia hissed.

They turned their attention to Hana, who just looked sad and defeated. “I think I’ll take you up on those corgi cuddles now, Riley.”

For the first time, Drake noticed the dog by Riley’s feet. He was . . . cute.

Riley smiled and picked him up. “I think Chance would be happy to oblige. Just keep him away from the chocolate.” Riley handed him off to Hana and he licked Hana’s face, making her giggle. “I think he likes you!”

Chance gave a happy bark that almost seemed to be in agreement with Riley’s statement.

“I can’t believe I messed up so badly. I’m such a failure . . .” Hana lamented, stroking Chance’s belly.

“Hana, don’t beat yourself up.”

“Yeah,” Maxwell said, joining the conversation, “everyone makes mistakes sometimes.”

Riley chuckled.”Did I ever tell you about the time I called my friend’s brother the wrong name for a whole year?”

“You did?” Hana gasped.

“I did! When we were introduced, I thought my friend called him Quentin. So I called him Quentin. I thought it was a little weird when it took a few tries of calling his name before he would answer. I figured maybe he had bad hearing or something. We didn’t talk much, just said hi in between classes, so I didn’t really hear anyone else say his name until about a year later when we had a class together and the teacher called him Bruce.”

“Bruce? How did you get to Quentin from Bruce?”

“We may never know!”

They spent the rest of the evening eating fondue and telling their major mistakes, that in retrospect, were pretty funny. Drake told the story of the great lock-down when Liam couldn’t find him in an old laundry chute while they were playing hide-and-seek. Maxwell told the story of when he wrote a love letter to an unnamed noble girl when he was twelve and she’d read it out loud to everyone at court. Drake was almost certain the girl was Olivia, but he wasn’t about to bring it up. Olivia herself, didn’t want to join in cheering Hana up by reliving past mistakes.

Somehow, this all led to a massive food fight.

Maxwell grabbed a handful of chocolate pound cake and threw it at Drake, smearing chocolate down the front of his white t-shirt. 

Riley grinned,”Maxwell, I’m going to get you next!” She grabbed a chocolate covered strawberry and launched it at Maxwell, hitting him in the shoulder.

“Ow! Like a tasty little choco-grenade. . .”

“Maybe not the strawberries . . .” Hana suggested.

Riley threw some chocolate covered cake instead, “Take that!”

“So you’re on  _ his _ side? I see how it is.” Maxwell said gleefully.

“I’m on my own side!” Riley declared, turning her fire on Drake. Drake quickly dodged her chocolate covered cake slices, only to back straight into Olivia with a handful of pretzels, so now he was covered front and back with chocolate.

“Really,” he said to the she-devil.

“What?” Olivia asked with a grin. “I’ve studied The Art of War. I never turn down an opportunity to practice my craft.”

“Drake, does that mean . . .” Maxwell made eye contact with Drake.

Drake grinned, “Team-up!”

“Battle of the sexes?” Hana said, smiling for the first time that night.

“Let’s do it!” Riley agreed.

“If you insist,” Olivia said, suppressing a smile.

Maxwell threw a piece of cake at Riley, who dodged, but it only hit Hana. Riley retaliated with a barrage of pretzels.

“Direct hit! I’m not sure I’m gonna make it!” Maxwell called dramatically collapsing.

Drake dragged Maxwell behind the counter as the girls threw everything they had. Drake sent as many strawberries back toward the girls as he could.

“They’ve got us on the defensive!” Maxwell cried.

“We have to strike now,” Drake agreed. They grabbed the bowl full of strawberries and stood up from behind the counter, flinging chocolate at the girls with everything they had until Riley slipped in a puddle of chocolate, and pulled Olivia down with her trying to catch herself.

“Riley are you okay?” Hana asked.

Drake hesitated, “Maybe we should stop. . .”

Riley grimaced and nodded, tears sprang into her eyes and she bit her lip. Drake and Maxwell came out and checked to see if she was alright. Before they got to her, she reached behind her to a pile of pretzels and flung them at Drake and Maxwell with a huge grin.

“Hey!” Maxwell cried.

“Gotcha,” she said, standing without any trouble.

Olivia and Hana resumed the battle, pelting them with whatever scraps were on the floor.

“Okay, okay! We surrender.” Drake said, laughing hard.

“Never surrender!” Maxwell shouted.

Olivia responded by nailing Maxwell with another piece of cake. “Alright, surrender!”

“We did it! We won!” Hana squealed in delight.

“Go team!” Riley said, high-fiving Hana. She tried to give Olivia a high-five as well, but Olivia only folded her arms.

They all took a look around at everyone, the five of them were covered in chocolate and out of breath. Simultaneously they burst out laughing.

“Hey, thank you all for coming tonight. I . . . really appreciate it,” Hana said, starting to pick up plates and bowls.

“It was a really hard sell. Free chocolate with your friends. Sounds awful,” Maxwell said.

“Still. It means a lot to me to know that I can count on you.”

Riley threw her arms around Hana, “Of course you can count on us.”

“Anytime,” Drake agreed.

They looked around to survey the damage. “It is getting late, though. We should probably head back to the train.”

“Yeah, I’m getting tired,” said Riley.

Everyone helped Hana clean up the chocolate shop and walked back to train. A few blocks before they got to the station, a taxi stopped.

Madeleine, Kiara, and Penelope tumbled out.

A very drunk Madeleine stumbled onto the sidewalk without any shoes, “Chooo choooooooooooooo! Party train!”

Kiara came up behind her, carrying Madeleine’s shoes, “Madeleine be quiet! Do you want someone to see you like this?”

“Too late!” Olivia said gleefully.

“Oh no . . .” Penelope said, freezing at the sight of the chocolate covered crew.

Hana started backing away, “I’d better go. Before Madeleine sees me.”

Drake made eye contact with Riley, who nodded toward Hana. He fell back with Hana, “I’ll walk you back,” he said, putting an arm around her protectively.

They hurried away from everyone else. When there was a reasonable distance between them and the remains of the bachelorette party, Hana let out a breath she must have been holding the whole time.

Drake hesitated. Even though he and Hana had spent a lot of time together with the rest of their friends, they hadn’t had very many conversations on their own.

“Hey, are you . . . alright?” he asked.

“Huh? Oh . . . I suppose. I just still can’t believe I messed up so badly tonight. My parents are going to be furious. And Madeleine . . .”

“Hey, don’t worry about Madeleine. She’s always been . . . mean.”

Hana looked at him. “She is kind of mean, isn’t she?”

“Yes. And even when she’s being nice, you can’t really trust her.”

A confused look crossed Hana’s face. “I guess that’s true. I just thought . . . it seemed like . . . oh, I don’t know, it was probably stupid.”

“What?”

Hana inhaled sharply. “You know how Liam suggested that maybe he and Riley could . . .”

Drake stiffened. He did not want to think about that. “Yeah, I know.”

“Well . . . Madeleine made me a similar offer.”

Oh! That . . . explained so much.

“Is that . . . something you wanted?”

“Not at first. I actually told her no. But then, after meeting the suitors I have to choose from, I thought that if I end up married to someone like that, having . . . another arrangement wouldn’t be so bad. And Madeleine is very pretty and smart. I thought if things went well tonight then I’d tell her I changed my mind.”

“Wow.”

“Oh! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to drop that all on you.”

“S’alright, Hana. You’re my friend too, and it seems like you need a friend tonight.”

Hana smiled up at him, “Aww, Drake!”

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s not make it a big thing.”

“You know, Riley’s very lucky to have you.”

“I . . . I don’t know about that.”

“I do. I think you guys are really good for each other. She’s most herself when you’re around. And you . . . well I didn’t know you before, but even from the beginning of the summer, you seem happier.”

“Well, we still don’t know how this all plays out. If we actually do clear her name . . .”

“She’ll still choose you Drake. I’m sure of it. It’s always been you for her,” Hana sighed deeply. He saw a pained look cross her face before she smoothed it away. He’d been around Liam long enough to know to read the first expression he saw on nobles’ faces. Sometimes he missed it, but they all did the same kind of thing, disguising real emotion in favor of perfect politeness.

“Uh, Hana. . . I can understand if you don’t want to tell me the answer to this, but do you like Riley? As more than a friend?”

“Oh! Um, well, just a little crush. I swear nothing serious, I just . . . admire her. Riley is so smart, and bold, and kind, . . . and beautiful. But I’ve been over that for quite some time. I’m perfectly happy being friends with her. I hope that doesn’t make you uncomfortable.”

Actually, he understood completely. He honestly didn’t understand how there were people in the world  _ not  _ in love with her. “Er, no, not uncomfortable. Obviously I completely understand where you’re coming from. I just . . . didn’t know you were interested in women.”

Hana giggled. “Neither did I exactly. I mean, I knew I was attracted to beautiful women, but I didn’t have many opportunities to explore those options in my teenage years. I grew up expecting to marry for politics, which meant the only choices presented to me were wealthy noblemen. But after spending last year in England and this year in Cordonia, I would say that I’m interested in both men and women.”

“Huh.”

“But truly, you have no competition for Riley with me or anyone else. You’re about all she ever talked about during the social season. I know you think she has to choose between you and Liam, but I promise, as her best friend, it’s not a choice.”

Drake ran a hand through his hair. “I guess we’ll see, in the end.”

They had made it back to the train. Drake looked at Hana, “Do you know what you’re going to do? About Madeleine?”

Hana looked thoughtful for a moment. “I think I have a lot to think about, but I don’t think I could ever be with someone cruel. Even though I made a mistake tonight, Madeleine was pretty cruel about it.” Hana stood up a little straighter. “In any case, I need to figure out who I am on my own first.”

Drake smiled at her, “You deserve a hell of a lot better than Madeleine, Hana.”

She flung herself at him, hugging him tightly. “Thank you Drake. You’re a good friend.”

“Goodnight Hana.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve always loved the Italian dinner scene, but the dialogue in it is very choppy. Hopefully I made that better, not worse by expanding out the dialogue.
> 
> On Drake and Riley’s day in Rome, I realized, they weren’t with Maxwell since he found Chance and Hana was setting up for Madeleine’s party, giving them another day to hang out alone.
> 
> Finally, the moment between Drake and Hana that we never get to see in canon has always intrigued me. I’m glad there was a chance to explore their friendship a little.


	33. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone arrives in Paris. The first two days provide an opportunity to confront the noble lady who set Riley up and more information about the conspiracy. Drake and Riley investigate the Beaumont mystery and it is not what they expected.

Riley woke up to a sound of knocking on her door and barking. What was going on? Her eyes popped open and the sleep fog lifted, allowing her to remember that she had indeed adopted a corgi, Madeleine was winning the competition for bitch of the year, and Riley had nearly drowned herself in tequila, which she hated outside of a well-made margarita, when she found out that it was  _ Penelope _ of all people that set her up. Chance was barking at the door. 

“You tell ‘em Chance!” Riley said, not lifting her head from the pillow. She had a splitting headache. The knocking and barking didn’t stop and weren’t helping her headache, so she grabbed a water bottle from her nightstand, checked to make sure she was decent and opened the door. She expected to see Maxwell, but was greeted by Hana and Drake as well.

“Morning sleepyhead!” Hana said cheerily.

Drake looked at her with concern, “Last night must have been rough. You slept all the way from Italy to Paris. How are you feeling?”

Riley met his eyes and gave him a weak smile. “I’ve felt better . . .” She walked back into her room and sat on the bed, sipping her water.

“That’s because you partied all night looooong!” Maxwell said.

The three of them crowded inside. Drake sat next to her on the bed, Hana took the one chair, and Maxwell leaned against a wall.

“The party, and then I found out that the noble lady who set me up was Penelope.”

All three of them gaped at her with identical expressions. Then they all started talking at once.

“What?” Hana said.

“Penelope? _ Penelope? _ ‘I can’t stop talking about my poodles’ Penelope?” Drake sputtered.

“I always knew she was a few dogs short of a pack,” said Maxwell with furrowed brows.

The sudden noise pounded in Riley’s ears and she held up a hand to get them to stop. “Maxwell, any chance of getting one of your super awesome hangover cures?”

“Uh, maybe in a bit, but there’s some tylenol in your nightstand drawer.”

Riley finished taking the pills and turned the conversation back to Penelope. “To be honest, I kinda feel bad for her, actually. She’s obviously not cut out for court. The pressures of being here were probably just too much for her.”

Drake blew out a breath he must have been holding. “You feel bad for her? She betrayed you.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not happy with her. It’s just kind of hard to be angry at someone so pathetic. But don’t worry, my revenge will be swift and thorough! No one messes with me or House Beaumont.

“Yeah! I love it when Riley gets all scary like this,” Maxwell said cheerfully

“Anyway, we need to strategize. I didn’t confront her last night, but I have to talk to her. I need answers.”

“Please be careful, Riley. If she’s been able to fool us for so long, who knows what else she’s capable of.’

Maxwell was in full-detective mode. “She’s downright diabolical. I bet she doesn’t even have poodles,” he said in a British accent, presumably because detectives were British.

Drake met her eyes again. “Yeah. Be careful. We’ve got the upper hand right now because she doesn’t know that you suspect her.”

“That’s right,” Hana agreed. “If we’re able to get close to her, we may be able to get some answers.”

Drake nodded. “Good idea.”

“The ultimate game of cat and mouse. Cat and poodle? Poodle and lion?” Maxwell said, trying to work out the metaphor.

Riley felt stronger for having talked to her friends. Now that the shock had worn off and the headache was starting to fade, the anger surged in her. She had been nice to Penelope when so few people were. She stood up for her! How dare she set her up! And then to act like they were friends afterward!

“This lion is ready to pounce.” Riley declared.

“I’ll be there if you need help. I know it won’t be easy to be nice to her after all she’s put you through,” Hana said, noting the change in Riley’s demeanor. “Oh, I have an idea! Penelope loves dogs, right?”

Maxwell jumped onto that train of thought. “Oh yeah! Maybe you can butter her up with a little corgi time.”

As if on cue, Chance leapt into Riley’s lap. Maxwell reached over to scratch his ears. “Who is the very best little detective? Is it you? It sure is! You’re the best detective in the world.”

“Rroo?” Chance replied. They all chuckled a bit and took turns petting Chance.

As they got up to go, Drake hesitated at the door. “Be careful, Brooks. Think you’ll be able to get her alone?”

“I’ll find a way.”

“We should get going,” Maxwell said. “We’re supposed to meet Justin at the limo in a few minutes.

“Mind if I catch a ride with you guys?” Drake asked, eyes flitting back to Riley for a moment.

“Plenty of room in the limo!” Maxwell said.

They left Riley to finish getting ready. She knew everyone was concerned for her safety, but she was pretty sure she could take Penelope in a fight if it came to it. Actually, it might be best for Penelope if they didn’t talk alone and there was someone there to keep Riley under control. A few minutes later, Riley was ready as she could be for a Paris fashion show. She slipped into the pink lace dress she’d worn in Fydelia and pulled her hair into a chic low bun with some lipgloss and mascara and called it good. Since it was already late afternoon, Riley stopped by the dining car for something to go and made her way out to the limo. The guys were already waiting for her.

She slid in next to Drake and across from Maxwell and Justin.

“Morning, future queen!” Justin quipped. Riley felt Drake tense next to her, but she resisted the urge to reassure him in front of Justin.

“Haha, very funny,” Riley grumbled.

“Ready for an exciting evening of fashion and philanthropy?”

“Fashlanthropy?” Maxwell suggested. Clearly he was trying to work out a hashtag for the day.

“Ugh. You know I can never unhear that, right?” Drake said.

“Hey, they can’t all be winners!” Maxwell tried a few other options, under his breath so Drake wouldn’t have to hear.

Riley ignored both of them. “Yes, Justin, I’m ready. Looking at beautiful people wearing beautiful clothing, while raising money for . . . what are we raising money for?”

Justin referred to the dossier he had balanced on his knee. “Disaster relief is the cause du jour.”

“What disaster?” Riley had been in Cordonia for months and hadn’t heard about any disasters.

Drake answered. “While you were in Ramsford, there was a major earthquake on the Cordonian coast. It caused a tsunami and left hundreds displaced and a lot of flood damage.”

“Oh, that’s so sad! Why didn’t I hear about it?”

Maxwell looked at her sheepishly. “It was when I had your phone. It didn’t seem like the kind of thing you needed to hear about at the time.”

“Indeed. It hasn’t received much news coverage, but tonight should change that.” Justin added. “The government has already deployed disaster relief, but a well-covered charity event will raise even more funds to help the affected.”

“Well, I’ll be happy to support that cause,” Riley said sincerely. She might not want to be queen, but she couldn’t help but feel bad for all the shop owners and waitresses just like she had been who had just seen their whole lives washed away or destroyed.

“Good girl,” Justin said again. “Way to stay on message.”

“No, I really . . . you know what, yes, I’m an adorable angel who loves Cordonia and is devastated by the loss.”

“Exactly,” Justin said pointedly. Riley rolled her eyes. “Just remember, if the press asks you any sensationalist questions, refocus on the humanitarian efforts of the event. Don’t worry if you run into any questions you’re not prepared to answer. I’ll be in your head again today.”

Drake gave her a weird look. “The earpiece?”

Maxwell grinned. “I bet Justin’s fun to have inside your head!”

“I like to think so,” Justin responded. That conversation got awkward quickly.

As if he read her mind, Drake said out loud, “This just got awkward.”

Maxwell shrank back in his seat, but it didn’t seem to phase Justin.

“Just put the earpiece in when you need me, Riley.”

Just then, they came to a stop.

“Looks like we’ve arrived,” Riley said.

“We should probably go find Liam when we get inside,” Drake said to Maxwell.

“We’ll catch up with you later, Riley,” Maxwell said and they disappeared into the crowd.

Riley looked around for a familiar face and saw Hana right outside the venue. Riley walked to meet her. Hana whispered to her, “Thank goodness you’re here. I didn’t want to face Madeleine alone.”

“Oh! About that. There’s something you should know -”

Before Riley could tell Hana about Madeleine’s disgusting revelation the night before, they were shepherded backstage. When Madeleine saw them, her eyes narrowed.

“Ah, Hana. I must admit I am a bit surprised to see you here after last night’s blunder au chocolat.”

Ever polite and poised, Hana replied smoothly, “I am terribly sorry, Madeleine. I hope you will allow me the chance to make it up to you.”

Madeleine still looked angry, though for what, Riley had no idea. “The fact that you’re still welcome here at all is a testament to my merciful nature.”

Riley couldn’t take the two-faced cow’s lies anymore. “Shut up Madeleine. We all know you were faking your chocolate allergy.”

Madeleine’s usually unflappable demeanor slipped for a moment, “Is that so?” Kiara had the decency to look embarrassed.

Riley was on a roll now and hadn’t had the chance to tell anyone off in a while. “You drunkenly admitted it to me at the end of the night. You said you made it all up just to torment Hana! Sorry Hana, that’s what I was trying to tell you earlier.”

Hana looked devastated all over again and Riley suddenly felt awful for having revealed Madeleine’s viciousness this way. 

“Oh. . .”

Madeleine had recovered her cool and glanced at Hana, “Don’t take it personally, darling. I like putting all of my ladies through their paces. Consider that your official hazing . . . and you passed!”

“Thanks. . . “

“Anyway! You must all be wondering why we’re backstage. . . .”

From there, they were whisked away on an exclusive backstage tour with the designer, Lancelin St. Claire, himself. He even offered Riley a dress that wouldn’t be in the show due to a flaky model. It was a floor length floral dress. Riley didn’t really think it was her style, but it was an honor to wear a dress to the show by the designer himself and she thought it would do nicely for the opera later in the week.

As they walked to their seats, Hana and Riley flanked Penelope and chatted about her love of fashion. They discovered that Penelope actually liked designing clothes . . . for poodles of course.

“My mother taught me to sew when I was growing up. She was always so busy with courtly duties that sometimes it was the only time we spent together. I think she intended for me to do lady-like needlework, but I actually preferred making clothes. She didn’t really approve of that. She said it was the work for a common seamstress, not her daughter.”

Lady-like needlework? Ever since Riley had arrived in Cordonia she felt like she must be in some weird experiment like a candid camera thing or some prank where even though it’s 2018, everyone acts like they’re in a Jane Austen novel. Did Penelope’s mom actually expect her to sit around embroidering pillows or something?

Riley didn’t question it though. “Hey, fashion designers are greatly respected. Practically treated like royalty.

“Yeah, that’s true, isn’t it?” Penelope looked visibly cheerier than she had in weeks.

“What kind of clothes do you make?” Hana asked politely.

“I mostly make outfits for my poodles, with little hats and slippers.”

As ridiculous as it probably was, Riley also thought it was probably pretty cute.

“Oh my goodness, that’s adorable!” Hana gushed.

Madeleine chose that moment to insert herself into the conversation. “Are you  _ honestly _ talking about your poodles again, Penelope? You shouldn’t encourage her, Riley. It’s embarrassing enough to have a lady-in-waiting so obsessed with those ridiculous creatures.”

Madeleine tossed her blonde curls and turned back to her conversation with Kiara. 

Hana whispered, “I think Chance would look adorable with a matching hat-and-slippers set. Right, Chance?”

Chance perked up at the sound of his name and wound his way between their feet. Penelope looked down at him sadly.

“Penelope, are you alright?” Hana asked tentatively. 

“Honestly? Not really. Talking about my poodles. . . I just miss them so much. I know it sounds silly to everyone else, but they’re my family. I wouldn’t expect anyone else to understand.”

“We’d like to try.”

“I had . . . a lot of anxiety when I was younger. I’ve been attending courtly functions since I was a child, but they still fill me with dread. I’ve never gotten used to the crowds, or all the scrutiny. I used to get panic attacks right before a big event. My parents thought a pet might help me stay calm. That’s when my parents got me my first poodles. Lancelot and Guinevere. They helped me so much with the panic attacks. . . and they were my best friends. I’ve had poodles ever since.”

Riley took in the story of Penelope’s anxiety and therapy dogs turned family and started to process that while giving Penleope some time to play with Chance. Whatever her role in setting Riley up, there was no chance that Penelope was a master manipulator expertly navigating courty intrigues with her cunning. The girl could barely function at regular court functions, which made  _ her _ vulnerable to manipulation. That meant . . . someone else was pulling the strings here.

An opportunity came up when the designer offered Hana and Riley a chance to walk in his show. Hana negotiated for Penelope to join them on the runway, giving them another chance to talk to Penelope in private.

After a flurry of hair, make-up and an exhilarating strut down the runway, the three of them reconvened in the dressing room, but Penelope darted back to her seat with excitement to see if Kiara got any good pictures. At least they had made progress in earning Penelope’s trust, so maybe there would be another opportunity later.

Riley was surprised to find they were having an intermission as she and Hana made their way back to their seats.

“Intermission? Is that common at a fashion show?”

“It is at a charity show. The pocketbooks are pulled out and checks are written during the breaks. Social pressure may be the number one catalyst of philanthropy among the court.”

“So you’re saying giving in to peer pressure is a good thing?”

“Under the right circumstances. Looks like you have a visitor.”

“What?”

“Liam. Do you want me to stay or go?”

“Oh, go ahead. I think I can handle it.”

Riley turned to see Liam making his way through the crowd toward her.

“Greetings, Lady Riley.”

“Your Majesty,” she greeted him formally.

Chance barked up at Liam. “Well, hello to you, too, sir. I see Lady Riley has found some excellent company.”

“This is Chance! I adopted him recently,” Riley said, picking him up for Liam to pet.

“That’s wonderful! I’ve always been a dog person myself. And it’s my opinion that Chance here seems to be a good dog.” Liam said with a smile. Chance leaned toward Liam to lick him in the face, which made Liam laugh. Riley relaxed a bit. This was nice, they could have a friendly conversation about dogs without any other pressure.

“He’s the most perfect bundle of fluff.”

“If only we could drop everything to find a park. Chance probably wants to stretch his little legs. I look forward to seeing more of the illustrious Sir Chance on our travels.”

Chance barked happily at the attention Liam lavished on him.

Liam checked around and leaned in, “Before anyone is any the wiser, I’d like to extend an invitation to you.”

Riley bit her bottom lip, “Liam . . .”

“My invitation is to show you around one of Paris’ most iconic landmarks. No trip is complete without a visit to the Eiffel Tower.”

“First the Statue of Liberty, now this?”

“What can I say? Our boat tour reminded me of one of my other favorite landmarks. I’ve always thought that the monuments people build show what they value most.”

“Really? What does the Eiffel Tower say?”

Liam smiled, “I’ll leave that for you to decide. But I promise that the view of Paris at night is unforgettable.”

“Hmmm. And are Hana, Drake, and Maxwell also invited? Or is this supposed to be a romantic excursion that I already told you I’m not doing?”

Liam’s smile faded. “I just hoped to spend some time with you. If you’re interested, I’ll be waiting after the fashion show.”

Liam disappeared into the crowd as the lights dimmed and Riley found her seat next to Hana with the other ladies and Maxwell. Riley tried to enjoy the second half of the fashion show, but was frustrated by being unable to talk to Penelope and having to tell Liam once again that she was not going to sneak around with him. As the outfits got more and more ridiculous, Riley started to lose patience. Finally it was over and Madeleine made her way toward them.

“Hello, darlings. I would be remiss if I neglected to ensure that you have all made your donations to the cause.”

Hana and Kiara immediately took checks out of their purses and handed them to Madeleine. 

“Of course. Nothing is more important than helping Cordonians in need,” Hana said.

“I’m sure Bertrand took care of House Beaumont’s donation,” Maxwell added, to which Madeleine nodded curtly.

“In perusing the list of donors, I noted that  _ your _ family was missing, Penelope.”

Penelope looked surprised. “Oh, um, I didn’t know I was supposed to. It’s our duchy and my parents have already -”

“Penelope, you’re a constant disappointment. You  _ do _ know that, don’t you?” Madeleine said, cutting her off.

“Of course. . . I’m so sorry Madeleine.”

“Kiara, the Cordonian ambassador to France is in attendance. A word from her would be very influential in the Foreign Ministry.” Madeleine looped and arm through Kiara’s and walked briskly away.

Penelope looked devastated, perhaps at Kiara’s departure as much as Madeleine's harsh words. As awful as it was to exploit Penelope’s vulnerability, this might be her best chance to get some answers. She looked pointedly at Maxwell and waved him away. 

“Oh, um, I better go find Drake! You know that guy. Hates fashion. Probably got his shoes on his hands by now.”

Hana and Riley turned their attention to Penelope, who had now let tears spill down her cheeks. 

“I wouldn’t think it possible to mess up donating to charity, but here I’ve managed to do it,” she said pitifully.

“Life at court can be difficult to navigate,” Hana said, offering Penelope a handkerchief. “I could help you.”

“That’s sweet of you to offer, but don’t waste your time. I’m a lost cause.”

“You’re not hopeless,” Riley assured her. “Your feelings are completely valid. The court is stressful enough without Madeleine adding to it. It’s . . . hard. Especially when you feel like you’re different. But you’re far from a lost cause, and I know Hana can help. She’s a really great teacher.”

Penelope looked back and forth between Hana and Riley. “Do you really think so?”

“We both do,” Hana said with a charming smile.

“Why have you been paying me so much attention? Wouldn’t it be easier to just ignore me like everyone else.”

Well. In truth, Riley had spent most of the last few months ignoring Penelope. After all, there were only so many conversations about poodles in a person. But here they were, it was time for the confrontation Riley had been waiting all day for. She wanted to be angry . . . but Penleope was just so pitiful and she didn’t want to scare her off.

Riley sighed. “The truth is I want to know why you set me up.”

Penelope tensed and a look of genuine shock crossed her face. “What?”

Riley wanted her to admit it. How dare she act surprised! How dare she act like they were friends! Some of the anger seeped back in. “Penelope, I know you framed me, and well now I understand how hard it’s been for you. I just want some answers. Don’t you think you owe me that much?”

The other woman crumbled in front of her and slumped into one of the chairs. “I . . . You’re right. And you’ve been so nice to me . . .”

Damn right. “So? Start talking.”

“I didn’t want to hurt you, Riley. I promise.”

Penelope was really trying her patience today. 

“You didn’t want to hurt me? Is that why you actively tried to sabotage and blackmail me?”

Hana put a hand on Riley. “Penelope, if you really didn’t want to hurt Riley . . . Well, you could at least help her now.”

Penelope wiped away another tear. “It was the only way to remain at court. I knew Liam wasn’t going to choose me . . . and I don’t like being here . . . But I couldn’t leave. My parents thought I was doing so well, making friends and spending time with eligible noblemen. I couldn’t bear to face my parents as a failure, but I’m not like Madeleine. I’m not skilled enough to maneuver myself into a favorable position alone. I was offered a chance to stay as a lady-in-waiting regardless of who Liam chose, as long as I helped in the scheme against you.”

Riley smacked her forehead. “Penelope! Don’t you remember the conversation we had at the beach party? That’s exactly what I was talking about. And do you think that any of us  _ wouldn’t _ have chosen you to be a lady-in-waiting?”

“Oh. Well, when he offered, I figured there had to be a reason.”

Hana held up a hand. “‘Offered’? So someone told you to set Riley up?”

“Of course! I would never have thought of such an awful thing on my own.” Believable. “And I never would’ve done anything bad to Riley, either.” Except she had.

“Who was it?” Riley demanded. Penelope flinched, so she softened her tone. “Please, just tell me.”

“It was . . . Bastien.”

Oh shit.

************************

The next morning, Riley wandered through the train, trying to find her friends. Maxwell had disappeared early without an explanation, but she hadn’t seen Hana and Drake anywhere. They had a day completely free of events and wanted to make the most of it.

She started to make her way back to her room when she almost ran straight into Drake.

“Hey! There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you,” he told her.

“And now you’ve found me,” Riley said with a happy smile. “I missed you at the end of the fashion show yesterday. Were the fishnet jumpsuits too much?”

Drake wrinkled his nose. “I don’t ever need to see that much of a person.” He said that, but his eyes betrayed him, sweeping over her. When his eyes returned to hers, she smirked in response, causing him to blush and look away.

“Hey, I need to tell you something, but this isn’t the best place. Maybe we can find a coffee shop?”

“Sure,” he said, returning her smile. “I also had an idea for the day, if you’re willing to forgo sightseeing again.”

Forty-five minutes later, they were sitting in a Paris cafe, sipping their morning coffee. If Riley didn’t have news that Drake was likely to take badly, she would have called it the perfect morning.

“So, did you learn something from Penelope yesterday?” Drake asked.

“Yeah,” Riley said, nervous about how he would react. “Penelope confessed everything at the fashion show. She was working with Bastien.”

Drake’s face went through several different stages. At first it seemed that he didn’t hear her, and then confusion, then anger, and finally defeat and sadness. Riley waited patiently for him to process everything he was feeling about that.

“Bastien?!  _ Our _ Bastien?”

“Yeah . . . I know you and Bastien are close.”

Drake ran his fingers through his hair and stared into his coffee. “Bastien, of all people. Hell.”

Riley wished she could get inside his head to know what he was thinking about. Of all the emotions he seemed to move through, surprise wasn’t one of them. Had something happened? Did he already have suspicions? Riley offered a hand, which Drake wrapped in his own.

“What’s going on in your head?” she asked carefully.

“I’ve been pretty angry with Bastien lately . . . because of the way he treated you at the Coronation and wouldn’t let me and Hana help you. But I also forgave him some, because he actually helped us. Or at least I thought he did, but now I don’t know what to believe.”

“What do you mean ‘he helped us’?”

Drake closed his eyes and she saw the wrinkle that appeared between his eyebrows when he was thinking hard. “Drake. I need to know everything. I know you’re trying to protect me, but the best way to do that is to make sure I have all the information.”

After taking a deep breath, Drake looked her in the eyes for the first time since she had said Bastien’s name. “Bastien told me that there was supposed to be more to the original article than the pictures of Tariq. There were other pictures . . . of us.”

Riley let that information roll around in her brain and settle. “Pictures from the same night or some other time?”

“The same night.”

Riley’s mind replayed the events of that evening. She had taken Drake’s shirt off when he refused to do it himself. That could look bad. They’d held each other, and definitely not like friends. No wonder Drake was so worried about being together publicly. If there really were pictures out there, she’d never be able to clear her name. Even if Tariq made a statement about the truth of that night, the other half of the story could be used against her at any time.

“Did Bastien say why that part of the story was pulled?”

“Yes. He said he negotiated to have it dropped, to protect me and Liam. He said we didn’t deserve to have the story to come out like that.”

“But I deserved to be set-up, assaulted, and humiliated?”

“I pointed that out . . . he said they were going to run with the story one way or another.”

“And you believe him?”

“Hell, Brooks, I don’t know what to believe anymore. I guess you need to ask him.”

Riley nodded. “Do you know where he is? We need to talk.”

“No, he’s preparing security for Liam’s bachelor party. He’ll be there tomorrow night.”

“I guess that means I’m crashing,” Riley said with a sly smile at Drake. He just chuckled and shook his head.

“Can I be there when you talk to him? I need to know why.”

“Of course.”

“Thanks, Brooks.” Drake let out a sigh. “Not much to do until then. But . . . there’s another mystery I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Oh yeah? Is this related to your idea of how we should spend the day?”

“Do you remember when we found that envelope of cash in the Beaumont study?”

“I remember everything about the Beaumont study.”

“It was pretty memorable.”

“Do you want to refresh my memory?” Riley asked playfully, leaning toward him.

“Maybe when we have a bit more privacy,” Drake groaned. “But I was looking through pictures on my phone and found the picture of the envelope.”

“Oh! Of course. The address was in Paris!”

“Not too far from here, in fact.”

“Are you thinking that we should go to that address?”

“At the very least it might give us another clue about what’s going on. And right now, it seems like we can use all the answers we can get.”

“ _ Allons-y _ !”

Drake quirked up an eyebrow, “Er . . .?”

Riley laughed. “It’s French for ‘let’s go’. But you should bring something nice to wear.”

“You’re just trying to get me into a suit, aren’t you?”

“As much as I enjoy coercing you into formal wear, and as hot as you look in a suit, you never know when you’ll need to look nice to blend in.”

“You’re wearing jeans and a shirt.”

“I’ll change.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll bring my suit with me. Let’s go.”

“ _ Allons-y _ !”

Drake rolled his eyes. “Is that the only thing you know how to say in French.”

“No, I can hold my own with Kiara.”

“Really? You speak French?”

“ _ Mais oui! Je l’ai étudié pendant six ans à l'école.  _ I just don’t feel the need to go around speaking it most of the time. _ " _

“You never fail to impress me, Brooks.”

“I’ll probably run out of impressive traits sooner or later.”

**************************************

They stopped back at the train to get Drake’s suit and give Riley a chance to change. She decided on the ruffled dress she’d worn on Drake’s birthday. They could have walked to the address, it wasn’t actually that far, but Riley insisted on taking the metro. As she explained to Drake, it made her feel a little less homesick.

Before long, they were wandering the halls of an apartment building. When they came to the door Riley felt like it was a bit of a letdown. She expected Maxwell’s secret to be something . . . cooler.

“It looks like an ordinary apartment.”

“So far,” Drake agreed. “Here we go.” He rapped three times on the door.

The door was opened by a tallish woman around their age with brown hair and strangely familiar large brown eyes. Riley’s jaw dropped. If this wasn’t Savannah Walker, she would eat her shoe.

“Drake!” the woman gasped in surprise.

Riley’s eyes darted to Drake. “Wha . . . Savannah!”

From inside the apartment, Maxwell’s voice called out, “Who’s at the . . .” he appeared behind Savannah and immediately shrank back. “Whoa, Drake and Riley! Uh . . . hi . . .”

Riley felt Drake’s body tense at her side. “ _ Maxwell? _ ” he practically growled.

Maxwell ducked back into the apartment, away from Drake’s glare.

Savannah was still staring at her brother as if she’d seen a ghost. “Drake . . . I”

Just then there was a cry from inside the apartment. A  _ baby’s _ cry. Riley watched Drake intently.

“Is that -” he started.

Savannah dashed inside. “Mama’s coming, Bartie!”

“Mama . . .?” Drake mouthed the word as if it were in a foreign language.

“Holy shit! Savannah’s got a baby?!” Riley blurted out before she could stop herself. She clapped a hand over her mouth so it wouldn’t get her in any more trouble. After a moment to get her head on straight, Riley turned to Drake, who still seemed shell-shocked. She grabbed his arm and forced him to look at her. “Drake, we need to stay calm.”

He blinked once at her and peered back into the apartment. “Calm? At a time like this?! Calm is the  _ last  _ thing I’m feeling right now!”

Riley stepped in front of the door and met his eyes. “You need to get calm, then! For Savannah’s sake!”

Drake took a few steps back from the door. “I shouldn’t even be here. Savannah didn’t want me here. She didn’t want me involved in her new life. I should go. I’ll only upset her if I’m here.” 

He started walking briskly away, shaking his head. Riley knew she had to get him to stay. He couldn’t leave when this meant so much to him. She ran after him. “Drake, you don’t know for sure that’s true.” Riley tugged at his arm until he turned around to face her. His eyes were wide and sad, but he wasn’t looking at her. He was looking past her, back toward Savannah’s apartment.

“If she wanted me around, she would’ve called. Written. Anything. Let’s go.”

“You just found her after all this time. We can’t leave now.” Riley laced both of her hands in his and locked their eyes. “We need to be here for her. Just stay for a minute to talk to her. If she really wants us gone, we’ll go.”

After a long moment, holding her gaze, Drake sighed, releasing the tension he’d been holding since that door opened. “Are you sure?” he asked hoarsely. 

His grip on her hands relaxed and she let go to take his face in both her hands.

“You’re family. Isn’t it worth finding out?” Drake searched her eyes. He nodded silently.

“Okay. Do you want me to stay? I can wait out here.”

“No! No, stay with me.”

For the past several minutes, they had been so focused on each other, they hadn’t noticed Maxwell cautiously peeking out of the door. When they turned back to Savannah’s apartment, he was there watching them nervously. Drake tensed again and glared in Maxwell’s direction. Riley looped one arm through Drake’s and rubbed it soothingly with her other hand.

“Stay calm, for Savannah,” she whispered to him as they entered the apartment.

“Uh, can I get anyone some water or anything? No? Tea?” Maxwell offered them, looking extremely anxious.

Riley had a thousand questions running through her head, but she was definitely the outsider here and didn’t feel right interrogating Maxwell. Drake was still leaning against the wall near the door, fuming at Maxwell and apparently wasn’t going to ask any questions himself. Finally Riley couldn’t take it anymore.

“Are you going to talk or what?” she asked bluntly.

“I . . . better go get that tea! You said you wanted tea?”

“No one wants tea,” Drake barked.

“There’s the kettle . . .”

Riley blocked Maxwell’s path to the kitchen. “I didn’t hear anything . . .”

Maxwell tried to dodge Riley and walk past her, but she blocked his path. He tried again, but faked her out and danced the other way, disappearing into the other room. Riley gave up and crossed the small room to Drake. She took one of his hands in hers and gently ran her thumb across the back of his hand.

“Hey. It’s going to be okay.”

“I just wish she’d trusted me.”

“I know. She was probably really scared though. And probably afraid of disappointing you.”

Drake’s eyes flashed to hers. “Disappointing me?”

“That’s my guess as a woman. I don’t have an older brother, but if I did, that’s probably what I’d be feeling in her situation. I wonder who . . . Wait a second! The baby’s name is Bartie. I bet the baby is named after Maxwell and Bertrand’s father.”

“Barthelemy Beaumont. You’re right.” Drake’s eyebrows furrowed in thought.

“If the baby is named after their father, then either Maxwell or Bertrand’s got to be the father . . . right?”

“Oh god, Brooks. I don’t want either of those mental images in my head. But . . . you’re probably right.”

“Maxwell’s here . . . but he doesn’t strike me as the type to hide his family away or let her go off on her own. If he was the father, he probably would have just married her. So, my guess is Bertrand.”

A disgusted look crossed Drake’s face, but he nodded slowly.

“Bertrand’s always so mysterious,” she continued, “like he’s just full of secrets.”

“Well . . .”

Whatever Drake was going to say, there was a sound from the hallway where the bedrooms must be. “Shh, they’re coming back,” Riley said, dropping Drake’s hand. Savannah walked in with a baby in her arms.

Drake moved away from the wall, but carefully not toward Savannah. “Savannah, before you say anything, if you want me to go, I’ll go. I don’t want to force anything you’re not ready for.”

A startled look flitted through Savannah’s eyes. Clearly she’d expected . . . something different. “ . . . That’s not . . . oh, Drake.” Tears filled her eyes. She handed the baby to Maxwell and threw herself at Drake, wrapping him in a tight hug. Riley saw a few tears begin to glisten in his eyes as he relaxed into his sister’s embrace.

Riley stepped away and went to stand next to Maxwell, smiling down at baby Bartie.

Savannah stepped back, wiping tears away with the heel of her hand. “I’m so sorry I shut you out. I just didn’t know how to tell you. I didn’t think you’d understand. I didn’t want to ruin things for you at court.”

“For me? Savannah, don’t you know that your happiness means so much more to me?”

“I know. I guess I always knew. I just wasn’t ready to reach out. But now that you’re here . . . I’m so glad to see you I could cry. Again.”

Bartie stirred in Maxwell’s arms and made a frustrated sound. Maxwell looked down smiling at him and bounced him gently, “Don’t worry, little guy. No one forgot about you.”

Savannah smiled, “Drake, are you ready to meet your nephew?”

“Uh . . yes?” Riley stifled a laugh at his terrified expression. Savannah took Bartie from Maxwell and transferred him gently into Drake’s arms. Drake’s eyes darted between the baby and the rest of them. “I . . . am I doing this right?”

Bartie made another sound of dissatisfaction. Riley stepped closer, with a questioning look to Savannah, who nodded. “Here, let me help.” She adjusted Drake’s arms slightly so that he was holding Bartie securely, but not too tightly. “This hand should go here . . . and then . . . make sure his head is supported. It looks like he has good neck control, but they can still be a little floppy sometimes.” 

Bartie made a happy gurgle and Drake smiled down at him in awe. Riley’s heart melted into a puddle. Drake looked back at Riley, meeting her eyes with a smile, but he started to blush and quickly looked away, then back to Bartie with a soft smile. Then he turned his attention to Savannah.

“Just because you’ve got me holding this little bundle, don’t think that you’re going to avoid any questions.”

“No,” Savannah replied as her eyes dropped to the floor. “I’m ready to talk to you. Go ahead.”

Drake handed Bartie back to Maxwell and they all made their way to the couches to talk more comfortably. Maxwell sat next to Savannah on one couch, Drake and Riley on the other.

Once everyone was settled, Savannah looked nervously at Drake. “What do you want to know?”

“Well,” he said, sounding just as nervous, “let’s start with . . . what happened? When you left, I mean.”

Savannah looked down at her hands and picked at her fingernails. “It was a very difficult time for me. At the Beaumont Bash, Bertrand and I ended up alone in the study.”

Riley bit her lip at the mention of the Beaumont study and her eyes flitted to Drake involuntarily. She tried to smooth her features, but felt a blush anyway. A sideways look at Drake told her that he was thinking the same thing. Maxwell must have seen it because he narrowed his eyes and mouthed ‘Really?’ at Riley. She gave him a small shrug as a smile crept onto her face and Maxwell rolled his eyes. 

Savannah continued her story, unaware of the silent conversation between Riley and Maxwell. “I’d always thought the world of him, but I didn’t think he’d ever look twice at me. But that night, we talked for hours . . . and then . . . well, I’ll spare you the details.”

“Thank god,” Drake said, covering his face with his hand. Drake’s leg had started to shake nervously and Riley put a hand on his knee to still it without thinking twice. His hand enveloped hers and he relaxed. Riley barely registered that Maxwell’s eyes widened.

“But,” Savannah finished, “suffice to say, this little miracle was the result. I didn’t even realize I was pregnant until a month later. I went to tell Bertrand, but before I could even get a word in, he started giving me a big speech about how we couldn’t be together.”

Drake's eyes darted between Savannah and Maxwell. “Are you saying . . .?”

“Bertrand doesn’t even know about Bartie. I tried to play it cool and tell him that I was fine, but as I left the Beaumont House, I couldn’t help crying.”

“And that’s where I come in,” Maxwell interjected. “I saw Savannah in tears and got the whole story out of her.”

Riley started to put some pieces together. Maxwell knew about Bartie. He was the one sending cash here. And . . . Bertrand had no idea that he had a son in Paris.

“Wait a second,” Riley said. “Maxwell, have you been sending Savannah money?”

“Figured it out, huh?”

“Why didn’t you tell Bertrand?”

“Believe me, I wanted to. But Savannah made me promise I wouldn’t. I couldn’t betray her by telling Bertrand.”

“Savannah,” Drake asked, “why don’t you want Bertrand to know?”

“Oh Drake. Can you imagine anything more pathetic? I don’t want Bertrand to feel like he’s obligated. It was my choice to become a single mother. I don’t want to drag him into this now, or make him feel pressured to be with me because of Bartie. He made his feelings quite clear on the matter, and I don’t want him thinking that I had Bartie to get him to change his mind. I might not have Bertrand, but at least I have my pride.”

Riley pondered the awkward situation Maxwell had been put in. Trying to support his nephew, while hiding the secret from Bertrand and Drake. Damn, Maxwell really was a master secret keeper. 

“Savannah, I have to ask,” Riley said carefully. “If you didn’t want Bertrand to know, why did you accept money from Maxwell?”

She blushed. “I didn’t want to at first, but Maxwell can be very insistent.” 

Drake snorted and Riley couldn’t help but smile too.

Maxwell just shrugged. “Most people use the term ‘annoying.’” He turned his attention back to Bartie, who he was bouncing gently on his knees. “Except this little guy, right? You’ll  _ never _ say Uncle Maxwell is annoying.”

Drake snorted again. “He’s my nephew too, you know. Oh fuck! I share a nephew with Maxwell Beaumont!”

Maxwell moved Bartie so that he could cover his ears. “Hey! No swearing in front of the baby!”

Drake crossed his arms across his chest and glared at Maxwell again. So . . . still angry then.

“I would never call you annoying, Maxwell,” Savannah assured him. She turned back to Riley. “When I didn’t accept his first payment, he sent gifts instead. A crib, prenatal vitamins, ridiculously frilly baby clothes . . .”

“It was the least I could do . . .” Maxwell said. “He’s a Beaumont, after all.”

“Anyway, I’m very glad to see you, Drake. I was dreading this, but . . .” Savannah’s eyes flitted to Riley briefly and then back to her brother, “you’re taking it a lot better than I thought you would.”

Drake softened and smiled at his sister. “Honestly? I missed you so much. I just want to be here for you however I can. And for little Bartie, too.”

“Aw. . . Drake.” Savannah stood and crossed the room to hug Drake. She turned to Riley. “And you, Riley. Maxwell’s told me all about you.” She offered Riley a hug as well, which Riley stood to return.

“Really?” Riley asked in surprise.

“Of course! Maxwell keeps me up to date on all of the courtly gossip.” 

Just then the clock chimed the hour.

Drake looked sadly at Savannah. “We should be getting back before Lady Riley is missed.”

Lady Riley? Really? He had literally  _ never _ called her that before. It sounded so weird and formal.

Savannah nodded though. “Yes, it wouldn’t do for Bertrand to get too curious and discover where you’ve been. But thank you all for coming. I’ll treasure this memory.”

Maxwell jumped up excitedly. Riley was impressed that he was still so . . . springy . . . even holding a baby. “You need a family portrait to remember it!” He handed Bartie to Savannah.

“I don’t think that’s necessary,” Drake said, uncertainly.

Riley smiled at him though, knowing she could convince him. “Aw, it’ll be nice! A token to remember this by.”

“I would like that. Something to show Bartie what Uncle Drake looks like so he doesn’t forget you!” Savannah gushed at Bartie.

Sensing he was outnumbered, Drake sighed. “Oh, fine.”

Riley gave Drake a sly smile, “If only you had something nicer to wear . . .” Her eyes slid over to the garment bag thrown on a chair by the door.

“You’re talking about my suit. You want me to put it on, don’t you?” Riley smiled and fluttered her eyelashes at him, to which he shook his head.

Savannah brightened. “What a nice idea. I’ll get dressed up, too.”

Ten minutes later, all three Walkers were changed into formalwear and standing in the living room as Maxwell darted around testing the light at different angles around the room through his phone’s camera.

“Hm, it’s a little too dark in here. Let’s go out on the balcony so I can get more natural light!”

“Isn’t this fine?” Drake asked.

“No, and I’m the photographer here, so do as I say.”

“But not as you do.”

Savannah laughed. “You haven’t changed at all, Drake. Come on.”

Maxwell posed them on the balcony while Riley stood back and watched. The whole scene warmed her heart. She knew that knowing where Savannah was and that she was safe and happy was going to be a huge weight off Drake’s shoulders and she was glad that the reunion had gone so well. Watching him hold Bartie stirred something else in her. For months Riley had been imagining the day when she and Drake could be together without fear or guilt or anything hanging over their heads. But now . . . she was picturing more than that. They never talked about the future; it was as if Drake was afraid of jinxing it by even talking about the possibility. Would he want this kind of future? With a family and a home? Riley hadn’t ever thought about it much herself, figuring she’d worry about it in the future, but maybe it was time to start thinking about what she wanted.

Maxwell snapped the picture and showed it to Savannah for approval. Riley guessed it was a good picture when Savannah’s eyes lit up and she hugged Maxwell.

“You can send it to my printer!”

A few minutes later, she presented Drake with a copy. “Here Drake.”

“Oh. This is . . .” His face softened into a smile. “Here Riley, take a look.”

Riley looked at the beautiful picture. “Drake, I always knew you were a total marshmallow at heart.”

He looked down at her with the soft lopsided smile he only gave her. “When it comes to family . . .”

Savannah laughed lightly, “Even Drake can’t keep up the grumpy act.” Drake started to hand the photo back to Savannah, but she shook her head. “I want you to take a copy, too. That one’s for you.”

“Really?”

“So you can think of us and remember this happy day.”

“I hope I’ll get to see you more from now on too.”

“I . . . I think I’d like that. I love you big brother.”

“Love you too, sis. And you, little guy,” Drake said, hugging both of them. He leaned in and kissed Bartie on the forehead and Riley’s heart melted all over again.

“Awwww,” Maxwell said.

“Get in her, both of you!” called Savannah.

After hugs were given out, Drake went to change back into his casual clothes. Riley looked at Savannah, “Savannah, I’m here for you anytime!”

“Thank you, Riley. That means a lot. I haven’t had many people in my life lately. But I think you’re someone I’d like to get to know better. Look out for my brother, okay?”

Riley grinned. “I always do.”

Savannah smiled brightly as Drake returned.

“Now we’d better get back before we’re missed,” he told Riley.

“Give the little guy a kiss good night for me!” Maxwell told Savannah.

“Always,” she said, walking them to the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The scenes in Paris are some of my favorite in the whole series. There's a good balance of character development, action, and flirty scenes no matter who the love interest is. (Except Maxwell . . . sorry you guys have to wait so so long!) Also, when it's revealed that Portavira is the duchy dealing with the earthquake and flooding in Book 3, it makes Madeleine's attack at the fashion show even more cruel.


	34. Steaks and Whiskey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drake visits Savannah again and Maxwell tries to make amends. Drake and Riley try to confront Bastien, but things don’t go as planned. Things heat up between Drake and Riley, and Bastien has advice for Drake.

Riley, Drake and Maxwell piled into the limo.

“That went really well, I think,” Maxwell said brightly.

Drake narrowed his eyes at Maxwell. “Don’t think you’re off the hook.”

Maxwell swallowed and shrunk in his seat, “Huh?”

Did he seriously forget that he was hiding Savannah for a year?! Drake’s blood was boiling and he’d kept it under wraps all day for Savannah’s sake, but now . . . “You knew where Savannah was this whole time! You know how worried I’ve been about her! You could’ve said something . . . at least dropped a hint that she was okay.”

“Yeah . . . you’re right. I just didn’t know what to do. I’m really,  _ really _ sorry, Drake. I wanted to tell you so many times, but I just couldn’t. It wasn’t my secret to tell. We’re still friends, right?”

Drake couldn’t answer that affirmatively in the moment. He clenched his jaw shut so that he wouldn’t say anything stupid, but continued to stare Maxwell down.

Maxwell slid even further away. “You think about that for awhile, and we’ll come back to it.” Riley gave Maxwell a sympathetic look, but the three of them spent the short ride back to the train in silence.

When they arrived, Maxwell darted away to his sleeping quarters without a backwards look at them. The train seemed abandoned. It wasn’t that late, maybe everyone was just out sightseeing or doing . . . whatever it is that people have been doing on this tour. Drake was torn between spending more time with Riley and going back to the pool hall he’d found last night to clear his head. He knew that his head wasn’t in a good place, so maybe it wasn’t the best time to talk to her.

Drake walked with Riley back to her sleeping car and she walked inside. He stopped in the doorway, caught between the pull to stay with her and the knowledge that he should walk away. He leaned against the doorframe, sighing.

“Well, here you are.” He willed his feet to walk away, but felt stuck, pulled like a magnet back to her.

Riley turned to him with a smirk, “Yep. Here I am.”

Drake looked away. The train was so quiet, he could almost believe they were the only two people here. Everyone else was probably out having fun in Paris. Once again, she had spent her first experience in one of the world’s greatest cities with him. He shuddered to think of what would have happened today if she hadn’t come with him. Would he have gone at all? He definitely wouldn’t have stayed to find out what had led to Savannah living in Paris with a baby.

“Hey, Brooks . . . thanks for convincing me to do that.”

She smiled warmly at him. How was he supposed to walk away when she kept looking at him like that? “Don’t mention it.”

“I . . . I want you to know . . . You’re a good friend, Brooks.” With one more regretful look at her, he willed his feet to move and start to walk away. “Good night.”

He felt her presence as she closed the gap between them, then the light touch on his arm that made him tingle all over. “Drake, don’t go. I want you.”

He spun around to see her looking up at him with smoldering eyes. This was not safe on the train! “Brooks . . .” Drake knew he should firmly tell her goodnight and leave her there, but . . .god, those eyes!

Riley’s eyelashes fluttered and she looked up at him through her lashes. “Are you telling me the feeling isn’t mutual.” Her finger was lightly tracing the outline of muscle on his arm and Drake started to lose focus as she drew herself closer to him. Instinctively his hands settled on her waist.

“Brooks . . . you know damn well that it is.”

Her hands traveled up his arms and shoulder and clasped together tightly behind his neck. Drake inhaled sharply, unable to risk relaxing enough to exhale.

“So this all comes down to will power, huh?”

Summoning every shred of self-restraint he had, Drake closed his eyes and then turned them to the ceiling, trying to break the gravitational pull between them. Riley leaned in so that her lips were a hair’s breadth from his and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and his breath hitched.

Not moving an inch she whispered, “You’re a model of restraint, Drake.”

He lowered his eyes to meet hers. “Don’t tempt me too far, Brooks. I’m only human.” This was a dangerous game they were playing. In all likelihood, whoever was plotting against Riley was staying on this very train. And they really didn’t know who they could trust. But . . . he didn’t have much power left to resist her.

Then she leaned in a millimeter more and her mouth was on his. Whatever reserve of restraint he had been pulling from was gone and there was just the two of them and the electric current passing between them. Drake stepped forward into her room, kissing her back, and closing the door behind him. In one movement, he pulled her flush against him and spun, pinning Riley against the wall. He lavished her with kisses, trailing them from her mouth, down to her neck and exposed shoulder. Riley pushed his denim shirt off, letting it fall to the floor, and let her hands roam beneath his white t-shirt.

“Brooks . . .”

Drake’s hand played with the hem of her dress and slid up her thighs, finally gripping tightly and hoisting her up so they were face to face and her legs wrapped around him. He claimed her mouth again, kissing her deeply.

Through the haze of being completely wrapped up in Riley, Drake’s brain registered sounds from a nearby train car. With great effort, he pulled himself away with a groan, allowing Riley to slide back down into a standing position.

“You’re all of my weaknesses, you know that?”

“It’s one of my charms,” Riley replied, biting her lower lip.

“Now I really am leaving,” he said reaching for his shirt that had been discarded on the floor. Before he could reach it, Riley had snatched it away.

“Well, if I can’t keep you here with me, I’m keeping this. You have at least twelve others,” she said, crossing the room to her bed and throwing his shirt on over her dress. “Good night.”

Drake shook his head. “See you tomorrow, temptress. Don’t forget, we’ve got a big night tomorrow.”

“You mean the bachelor party? I’m ready.”

“Good. I’m ready too, and I’ll be right there with you.”

“Thanks. Something tells me that if I’m going to confront Bastien and finally get some answers, I’ll need all the help I can get.”

Drake closed the door to Riley’s room behind him, smiling to himself and walked straight to the pool hall at the hotel a few blocks away.

********************************

The next morning, Maxwell was unusually quiet. Drake had spent several hours at the pool hall replaying the whole day in his mind. Even though he understood Maxwell’s reason for keeping Savannah’s secrets, he still couldn’t help but feel betrayed. He had never been a trusting person, especially not since returning to Cordonia after the assassination attempt, but in the last few months, he’d allowed Maxwell in a little bit. He’d thought that just maybe, Maxwell could be trusted. Then he thought of all the times in the past year he’d talked about Savannah, asked questions of everyone who’d been at the Beaumont Bash that night. Maxwell hadn’t even given a  _ hint _ that he knew she was alright.

It was Maxwell that broke the silence between them. “Hey best friend roomie . . . Drake . . . I know you’re still pretty mad at me, but I was thinking. . . if you didn’t have plans today, maybe you could come see Savannah with me and then I could help you pick out an outfit for tonight?”

Drake didn’t speak, but continued to look at Maxwell questioningly.

“Consider it an apology gift and, no offense, but your usual denim on denim ensemble might be a little too . . . casual.”

Drake raised an eyebrow. 

“There’s a dress code,” Maxwell explained. “Plus you know  _ Riley _ likes it when you dress up.”

Drake shot a look in Maxwell’s direction. “What does Brooks have to do with it?”

Maxwell grinned, “So you are talking to me!”

Drake rolled his eyes.

“So . . . what do you say?”

“Fine,” Drake answered through gritted teeth. He did want to see Savannah again and apparently he needed an outfit for Liam’s next party. After breakfast, and letting Riley and Hana know that they were on their own for the day, Drake and Maxwell got into the Beaumont limo for the short drive to Savannah’s apartment.

When Savannah answered the door, it took Drake a second to really believe that she was real again. After a year of wondering where she was, it was strange to think that she’d been here the whole time, living her own life. About an hour after they arrived, Maxwell made an excuse and said he would be back to go shopping with Drake later, leaving the siblings alone.

“So. You let Maxwell talk you into shopping. Maybe you have changed,” Savannah said with an amused smile.

Drake shrugged. “Apparently there’s a dress code.”

“Uh huh. And I’m sure it has nothing to do with a certain American.”

Drake felt the blush on his face and tried to suppress it.

“That’s what I thought!” Savannah squealed. “How did that happen? How long have you guys been together? Did you really save her from Tariq? Tell me everything!”

“Geez, Sav, that’s a lot of questions. But I guess I’ll answer the most important one - we’re not together.”

Savannah cocked her head to the side. “Could have fooled me.”

“Wha . . . What do you mean?” If Savannah could see it on one day, maybe they were not as good at hiding it as they thought.

“Just the way you are around each other. It’s the way couples are around each other. Your body language, the physical familiarity, the way you look at each other and talk to each other. And it’s not just me. Maxwell’s convinced you’re secretly dating.”

Drake thought back to the evening in Fydelia and making s’mores by the fire, the late night dinner in Sorrento, and their whole day eating their way through Rome together. Riley had called them all ‘secret dates.’

“I. . . I don’t know.”

Savannah laughed, startling Bartie. “Oh, Drake! Only you would be in a relationship and not even know it. But I want you to tell me about it, from your perspective. Unless you only want me to know the Maxwell Beaumont version of events.”

Drake rubbed the back of his neck. He wasn’t sure how much of it he wanted to share. Nothing was set in stone, and however many times Riley said she didn’t want to be with Liam, how could she possibly pass up that life for . . . for what?

“You know I’m not the best at telling stories. Besides, Liam still wants to marry her and you know how that always goes.”

“From what I hear, she doesn’t want to marry Liam.”

“What woman wouldn’t want to marry Liam,” he muttered.

Savannah laughed again. “I wouldn’t. If it were a choice between Liam and Bertrand it wouldn’t even be a contest.”

And there it was again, the mental image Drake really didn’t want. “So . . . you and Bertrand, huh?”

“Oh Drake, don’t make that face. Besides, I don’t know why you’re so surprised, I had a crush on him for years and years. Surely you noticed.”

“I thought you were just awed by the Beaumonts’ lifestyle. The limos, the big fancy parties, the nice clothes.”

Savannah looked thoughtful for a minute. “I think when I was younger, that all impressed me. But we lived in the palace, Drake, I was used to that kind of stuff being around us all the time. No, it was always about Bertrand himself.”

“Huh. You should tell him about Bartie, Savannah. He deserves to know he has a son.”

“I know,” she said quietly. “I just . . . I don’t know how. I don’t want to get in the way of his life, I just want him to be happy. Besides, he was very clear that he doesn’t want anything to do with me.”

Drake tried to suppress the rage he felt at that. The nobles were always so careless with people, especially commoners. 

“Well, at least consider coming back to Cordonia. You belong there.”

“I’ll think about it. I promise.”

“I didn’t tell you yesterday, but . . . I went to Texas a few weeks ago.”

Savannah’s jaw dropped. “You did!?”

“Yeah.”

“How was that?”

“Good. Weird. I mean, I still don’t agree with everything mom did, but maybe it’s just time to let the past be the past and move on. Anyway, she’s worried about you, so you should call her.”

“I guess I should. Oh! We could do it now!”

“Uh, Sav, it’s three in the morning there.”

“Oh, yeah. I know, how about we make a video to send to her?”

“I guess I could do that.”

They made a video for their mom, introducing her to Bartie and assuring her that they were all okay. Drake sent it via text so she would get it when she woke up in a few hours. Savannah then confiscated his phone and searched through all the pictures, making him tell her the story of everything that had happened during the social season and so far on the tour while he spent some time playing with his nephew.

Later, Drake made them some lunch while Savannah fed Bartie and put him down for a nap. It felt so normal. Hanging out with his sister and nephew in a small apartment, making his own food, trying to find where she kept her forks, and tripping over baby toys. For the first time in a long time, he remembered what a normal life with a normal family was like. He could almost envision what it would have been like if their parents had been there with them, telling stories and playing with their grandson.

Not too long after lunch, Maxwell reappeared, announcing it was time to take Drake shopping. Drake gave Savannah a big hug goodbye and promised to call every day.

The afternoon was spent with Maxwell dragging Drake into various shops all over Paris trying to put together a look that would help Drake blend in at the swanky speakeasy Liam was having his bachelor party in.

“It’s going to be awesome!” Maxwell was saying. “I heard there’s even a password to get in!”

“Er . . . there is? I don’t know the password.”

“I think it might be on the invitation. Oooh, try this on!”

Having tried on three different suits Drake had vetoed, Maxwell handed Drake a shirt and sport coat and shoved him into a dressing room. Drake tried them on and had to admit that it wasn’t a bad look. And there weren’t too many pieces to try and figure out like his suit.

He stepped out of the dressing room. Maxwell gave him an appraising look. “Hey! That’s pretty great. But . . . now you need pants. How about . . . these!” Maxwell handed him a pair of dark wash jeans. Really? He was going to be allowed denim!?

“Are you sure this meets the dress code?”

“Yep, just try it.”

Maxwell declared the final result a success and Drake was actually pretty pleased with it himself. It was surprisingly comfortable, even if it was a lot fancier than what he usually wore. New clothes in order, it was time to meet Riley back at the train.

“So how come you can buy me a suit, but Brooks had to buy all her own dresses?”

“Oh, well. That was mostly because Bertrand wouldn’t let me. And I was trying to send everything I could to Savannah. But, one of Riley’s conditions for staying here was that she got an allowance for clothes, so I’ve been making sure she’s taken care of. I even offered to pay off some of the credit cards she had to get during the social season. We sold a few antiques to help fund the tour and I think Bertrand took out a loan against the estate to pay for Justin. I’m not exactly sure how we’ll pay it all back if she doesn’t marry Liam, but I’m sure we’ll figure something out! I have some great ideas!”

Drake nodded. Good. They owed her that much at the very least.

As soon as they arrived back at the train, they saw Riley heading to the boutique. Maxwell grabbed Drake’s arm and practically dragged him toward Riley.

“Come on, let’s go show her your new suit! She’s going to love it! Riley! There you are!”

“Good evening to you, too.”

“Oh, trust me, it’s a very good one. Ta-daaaa! Look upon my masterpiece!” Maxwell said proudly.

Maxwell shoved Drake, almost making him run into Riley. He watched Riley’s eyes sweep over him and felt heat rise on the back of his neck and ears. She was grinning from ear to ear. Of course she was getting a kick out of him dressing up again. She ran a hand down one of the lapels on his jacket, smoothing imaginary wrinkles and then met his eyes.

“Drake . . . you look good.”

Maxwell’s eyes danced back and forth between them. “Pretty great, huh? Drake, I told you the compliments would be rolling in!”

“Yeah, yeah. Thanks for the suit,” Drake said begrudgingly.

“Only the best for my good buddy, Drake,” Maxwell said, clapping him on the back. Drake brushed Maxwell’s hand off his shoulder. “We’re still buddies, right?”

“Don’t push it.”

Riley was still staring at him. “So is that the plan for tonight? Dazzle and distract everyone with Drake’s new suit?” 

“Ha ha. Actually, Maxwell will create a distraction for us while we confront Bastien.”

“Easy. Distraction is my middle name.”

It was Percival, but distraction might actually be a more appropriate choice.

“Sound good?” Drake asked Riley.

“I’m all good!”

“So. Are we ready to go?” Maxwell asked.

Drake eyed Riley, who was wearing jeans and a tank top. Wasn’t there a dress code for this thing? “Wait a second. If I’ve got to get dressed up, shouldn’t Brooks have to put something frilly or sparkly on?”

Riley raised an eyebrow at him and mouthed ‘frilly or sparkly’? Drake just shrugged. It was just a suggestion. One he hoped she would take seriously. To blend in, of course.

“I was about to, before you two showed up,” she said out loud.

Maxwell lit up and threw open the door to the boutique. “Then we’re just in time to get you ready to to paaaaaarty!”

Maxwell searched the racks, while Drake hung back by the doorway. This seemed more like Maxwell’s domain.

“Any fashion advice,” Riley asked him, pushing aside a whole row of dresses.

“The bachelor party’s gonna be at a classy speakeasy, so . . .” Maxwell pulled out a tiny, sparkly black dress. Drake was pretty sure it would not leave much to the imagination. “This is a good one, I think.”

Riley’s eyes lit up and she dashed back to the dressing rooms. Drake shifted uncomfortably. On the one hand, Riley would probably look incredibly hot in that dress and he wouldn’t mind seeing her in it. On the other hand, Riley would probably look incredibly hot in that dress and he would have to restrain himself all night.

“Maxwell, isn’t that a little . . . uh . . . revealing?”

“Riley can pull it off!” Maxwell said with a wink. And then quieter. “And I’m willing to bet you can pull it off later too, if you play your cards right.”

Drake glared at him, “Maxwell, we are  _ not _ talking about this.”

“Just saying. Did you see the way she looked at you in that suit?”

“Aren’t you still trying to marry her off to Liam? To save House Beaumont and all that?”

“Nah. I told you, Riley’s like my sister. I just want her to be happy, and for some reason that seems to be with you. Totally team . . . Driley? Rake? Hmmmmm. I have to work on a better ship name for you guys.”

Just then, Riley stepped out of the dressing room in the skin tight, short black dress that was covered in sparkles and had a deep neckline covered by some thin black mesh, leaving her cleavage fully displayed, but not. Her hair was pinned up, exposing her back and neck. Drake felt his mouth start to water and he swallowed hard. He’d seen her in fancy ballgowns, sleek dresses, and casual jeans and shirts, but in this . . . this was probably the sexiest look on her he had ever seen.

“So . . . what do you guys think?” She said this to both of them, but her eyes didn’t leave Drake.

“You look perfect!” Drake heard Maxwell exclaim, but he sounded miles away. This was going to be a loooooong night.

Drake tried to form a compliment, but all that came out was, “It’s really . . . uh . . . wow. . .”

Riley winked at him and laughed. “Ah yes, the go-to Drake compliment.” She grinned widely and then took each of them by the arm, clearly pleased with the affect her outfit had. “Let’s go, gentlemen!”

“Er. Yeah. Let’s get out of here,” Drake said. At least this time he managed a complete sentence. 

In the limo, Riley sat next to him. It was beginning to be their regular seating arrangement. Maxwell debated over music choices, while Riley poured champagne.

“I’m thinking it should be a James Bond theme song, but I can’t decide between Quantum of Solace and Skyfall.”

“What about Casino Royale?” Riley asked.

“No . . . that’s on my Vegas playlist.”

“Bond?” Drake asked. “We’re talking to Bastien, not chasing Russian spies.”

“Unless . . . Bastien is the Russian spy,” Maxwell said seriously.

“I vote for Quantum of Solace,” Riley said, ignoring them.

“Yeah, good call. Skyfall is a little somber for this occasion,” Maxwell said.

Before the song was even over, they were pulling into an entrance gate of a hidden compound surrounded by security. Whoa.

“Okay,” Drake told them. “Here comes the guard inspection. Be cool.” He looked pointedly at Maxwell.

In response, Maxwell threw his feet up on the minibar. “I never  _ stop _ being cool.”

Drake rolled his eyes at Maxwell before rolling down his window and handing their invitations to the guard. The guard peered into the limo and raised an eyebrow at Riley. She pressed herself against Drake and wrapped her arms around him. “I’m with Drake,” she told the guard and taking Drake by surprise.

“Brooks!” he hissed back at her.

She cleared her throat and gave him a pointed look, “Isn’t that right, darling?”  _ Darling?! _ Then she leaned in and kissed his cheek. Drake felt heat rise on his face and . . . elsewhere. Jesus! How the fuck was he supposed to get through the night with her dressed like that, and acting like that?

“ . . .R-right. Darling.”

The guard smirked at them, but waved them through. 

As the limo drove into the compound, Drake whispered back into Riley’s ear, “ _ Next time, warn me if you’re going to do something like that!” _

She giggled and whispered back,  _ “You’re cute when you’re flustered.” _

_ “I . . . fuck Brooks, have I told you that you don’t play fair? You’re killing me over here.” _

“Smooth work, team,” Maxwell said, his eyes sparkling.

“I’m glad that worked. I didn’t have a backup plan,” Riley laughed.

“Alright, I’ll head inside first and make a show of being fashionably on time. Nobody will suspect Drake if he’s late.”

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t lose yourself at the snack table,” Drake reminded him.

“No worries. I’m a professional.”

“I’m still worried.”

“Agent Breakdance, breaching the perimeter,” Maxwell said, exiting the limo and leaving Drake and Riley alone.

“That guy,” Drake said with a sigh.

Riley immediately wrapped herself back around him. “Are you thinking of a codename? You could be like a King’s Guard agent.”

Drake put his arm around Riley, “I guess we’ve got some time to kill. What do you think my codename should be?”

“Grumpy.”

“Come on, I want it to be something cool like, ‘Danger’ or ‘Thunderstorm’.”

Riley traced his exposed collar bone along the edges of his shirt where the top button was unbuttoned. It felt like fire. “How about ‘Marshmallow’?”

He groaned, “Oh, no . . . Don’t do this to me, Brooks.”

“Too late,” she said softly. “Your codename is Marshmallow.” She pulled him toward her and kissed him gently. He couldn’t deny her anything when she did that.

“Fine, if I’m Agent Marshmallow, you’re Agent -”

“Perfect,” she said, cutting him off.

“Agent Bossypants,” he corrected.

“That’s  _ Queen _ Bossypants to you,” she said with a throaty laugh and kissed him again on the cheek.

Drake cringed at the word ‘queen’. Was there still a part of her that wanted to be queen? Liam would be all too willing to make that happen. Was all of this just a distraction for her in the meantime? 

“I’m ready to go inside,” he said, unable to look at her. “Let’s go inside.” He extricated himself from her arms and got out of the limo, assuming she would follow.

As they entered the speakeasy, Drake’s eyes widened. It was probably the best party he had ever been to. And that was saying a lot for someone who attended royal parties every other week. The mahogany and leather decor, cigar smoke in the air, a whole table full of steak and whiskey.

“Wow . . .”

Riley chuckled behind him. “This must be everything you’ve ever wanted.”

“Well, not everything, but we’re checking  _ a lot _ of boxes.”

“Sorry I’m keeping you from this,” she said sadly. “You can join the party. I can take it from here.”

Drake turned and smiled at her, “Don’t sweat it. It’s usually the company that makes the party, and you’re better company than almost everyone here.”

“Almost?”

“Fine, everyone here. But . . . wouldn’t it help us blend in if we got a couple glasses of whiskey.”

“Fair enough.”

They walked back to the bar and Drake grabbed two glasses of whiskey, handing one to Riley and savoring the scent of his own. He took a sip and realized this was probably better than any whiskey he’d ever had. Better than whatever Liam got him for his birthday every year.

He gave a satisfied sigh. “I think this whiskey is older than I am. And probably costs more than everything I own. What do you think?”

Riley’s eyes lit up after a sip. “It’s amazing!”

“Enjoy it. Whiskey like this comes along once in a lifetime.” They clinked their glasses together and savored the smooth, smokey flavor.

Drake scanned the room for Maxwell and saw him on the other side of the room eating steak and talking to Lord Rashad.

“I’ll go remind Agent Breakdance that he has a job to do.”

Drake crossed the room and nodded to Rashad as he inserted himself into the conversation. After a moment of listening to the discussion about a lucrative merger Rashad was considering in his business, Drake noticed that Maxwell’s eyes were glazed over.

“So, sorry to interrupt Lord Rashad, but Maxwell here promised to open the party with one of his world-renowned toasts.”

To Drake’s annoyance, they were also joined by Neville, who quickly whisked Rashad away while sneering at Drake.

“Hey, Agent Breakdance, don’t forget you’re supposed to be creating a distraction.”

“But steak first . . . right?”

Drake glared.

“Come on! You love steak. Here, try it!” Maxwell offered Drake a bite.

“Um, no. I am not eating off your plate.”

Maxwell shrugged. “So what kind of distraction should I go with? Dance off? Me vs Neville?”

“No.”

“A toast? I’m good at that too.”

“ . . . Sure. Let’s go with that.”

Maxwell rushed off and Drake shook his head and tried to spot Riley. She was surrounded by Liam, Rashad, and Neville. Drake sighed. She probably shouldn’t have worn that dress if they actually wanted to avoid attention. He made eye contact with her and waved her over. He watched as Liam leaned in and whispered something in her ear, which made her tense up and then nod. In the center of the room, Maxwell began his toast.

“Ladies and gentlemen . . . except that there are no ladies here. Nope None at all.” Maxwell seemed to have the room’s attention, so Drake and Riley made their way to the back wall. “I would like to propose a toast to our wonderful King.”

“That’s kind of you, Lord Maxwell,” Liam acknowledged.

“I am nothing if not kind, except dashingly handsome. Let’s all take the time out of our celebrations to honor those who made these exquisite festivities possible, starting with the janitorial staff.”

“So far, so good,” Drake whispered as he and Riley made their way undetected along the back wall toward where Bastien was posted.

“I’d also like to thank my tailor for creating the most comfortable pair of underwear, which I am giving you this speech in.”

Riley covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. “That’s an interesting way to toast.”

“He’s giving it his all.”

“And lastly, let us enjoy our manly things . . . in harmony . . . or fisticuffs. To steaks and whiskey!”

The room toasted and they had made it to the King’s Guard station. Drake felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see that he was face to face with Bastien. For the first time, he felt uncertain about this whole thing. 

“Drake,” Bastien said, pulling them aside to a quiet corner, “I see you’ve brought a security breach with you. I know you two are close, but I’m afraid Lady Riley will have to leave.” Bastien was looking at him intently, firmly, the way his dad used to look at him when he did something as a kid that put Liam in danger. 

“We need to talk to you,” Riley hissed.

Bastien turned his eye to Riley and straightened his shoulders. “I’m afraid it’s leave or I’ll escort you out. Talking isn’t an option.”

After everything they had been through, Bastien owed them this. All the anger Drake felt the night of the Coronation came rushing back, this time with the knowledge that not only did Bastien know about the photos of Riley, he had been instrumental in creating the photos in the first place. 

Drake’s frown deepened and he stepped between Riley and Bastien, “We mean  _ talk _ .”

Bastien turned a level look on Drake. “Drake, I’ll escort you out too, if I have to.”

“Bastien, we know it was you,” Riley stated, stepping up beside Drake.

“Yes, you know it was me who removed you from the party. Now, come along.”

“We know you were the one who paid Penelope to sabotage Riley. I bet you were behind Olivia leaving court too.”

There was the briefest hesitation and the slightest break in Bastien’s carefully neutral expression. If Drake didn’t know him so well, he probably would have missed it.

“This isn’t the time or place for games,” Bastien growled at them harshly.

"Penelope confessed. There’s no reason to play dumb,” Drake said, getting louder.

“I’m a servant of the crown. Why would I care who Liam chooses?”

“That’s what we want to know,” Riley said, arms folded across her chest.

Drake took a deep breath and faced the man who was like family to him. “I keep asking myself why you’d do something like this, and it doesn’t make any sense, unless someone else must’ve had a hand in it. I want to know who.”

This time Bastien’s face visibly fell. “Drake, you don’t want to do this.”

“Please help us out here. I know . . . I know you’re a good guy. You wouldn’t -”

_ “Dammit, Drake! I can’t! _ ” Bastien cut him off angrily. Whatever was going on here, it was deep. Bastien never held anything back from Drake before. At least, not that he knew of. Maybe . . . maybe he had been all along.

“Bastien, answer us!” Riley demanded.

“I’m sorry, Lady Riley. I truly am, but it’s time to go.” Bastien grabbed her arm, gently, but still . . .

In a flash Drake reached out and put an iron grip on Bastien’s arm and looked the older man directly in the eye. “Fine. We’ll leave. But take your hands off of her.”

Bastien immediately released his grip, not breaking eye contact with Drake. “Drake . . . I’m sorry. I didn’t want . . . This wasn’t personal. I swear.”

“It feels pretty damn personal from where I’m standing.”

Someone walked up behind Bastien. “I step out for ten minutes and come back to chaos. What is the meaning of this prolonged disturbance?”

Bertrand.

“Lady Riley?” Bertand said in confusion.

But Drake could barely hear. He just saw red. The man that broke Savannah’s heart and made her run away for a year. The man who fathered her child and then convinced her he wanted nothing to do with her.

“You,” Drake snarled.

Drake pushed past Bastien to stand toe to toe with Bertrand. “I found my sister.”

Bertrand’s eyes widened, “Lady Savannah?”

_ Lady _ Savannah? Ha! Maybe if she had been a lady, Bertrand would have treated her with more respect.

Bertrand cleared his throat. “That’s splendid news. She is well, yes?”

“Like you’d care,” Drake spat.

“We all do. Her disappearance was quite a mystery.”

“She told me  _ everything _ that happened between you two.”

Bertrand recoiled. “I . . .”

Drake was shouting now and he didn’t even care. Hell, maybe the entire court should hear about this. “She was in love with you! How could you let her leave with her heart broken?”

“I tried to reach her, but she disappeared from everyone, including me.”

“Not  _ everyone _ . Maxwell knew.”

“He . . . what?”

Maxwell, who had started to walk toward them when Drake started shouting, had now turned and was trying to hide in an empty booth. With everyone now staring at him, he looked like a deer in the headlights.

“I . . . uhh.”

“Maxwell Percival Beaumont. Tell me this man is lying,” Bertrand boomed at his brother.

“Er . . . well . . “

“Maxwell actually had the heart to support her, which is more than you ever did,” Drake continued.

“How?” Bertrand was still staring down Maxwell.

“You know my ‘excessive spending habits’? Well, I’d send most of it to her. Most of the things were made up. The jet skis, the expensive wine . . . I’d hide the cash in our study until it was time to send it off.”

“Now you know where that extra money was going,” Drake added.

Bertrand looked back and forth between Maxwell and Drake. “I didn’t know she was in distress . . . what happened?”

Drake scowled again. “I don’t know, maybe she needed help raising  _ your kid _ !”

There was an audible gasp in the room. Oops. Drake realized too late that after everything Savannah had done to keep this secret, he had just spilled to half the court the day after finding out.

Bertrand was dumbstruck. “A . . . . A child . . . ?” he gasped. “When did . . . ? Savannah . . . was pregnant? I didn’t know. You have to believe me. I didn’t know.”

“Savannah told me you gave a nice long speech about how you two could never be together.”

“You don’t understand. . . The last time I saw her . . . What I said . . . She misunderstood.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit!” Drake grabbed Bertrand by the collar.

“Unhand me,” Bertrand said shakily.

“You broke my sister’s heart! You nobles think you can just play with us commoners and throw us away when you’re done. Well, this time, you’re going to have to answer for it!”

Drake felt his hand clench tightly, as if all the rage he’d felt at the nobles for twenty years came down to punching Bertrand in the face. 

“Stop!” A voice shouted.

It was Maxwell and he pushed himself between Drake and Bertrand.

“Out of the way!” Drake shouted. He had no patience left for either of the Beaumont brothers. If Maxwell wanted to get in the way, he’d get punched in the face too.

Then there was another voice. “STOPPPPPPP! PLEEEAAAAASSSSSSSSSE!”

Riley. 

Finally Drake snapped out of his rage and turned to where Riley was standing next to Bastien. The entire room was silent. Bastien stepped between Drake and Maxwell to take control of the situation.

“That’s enough. All of you out.” Bastien snapped at them.

Bertrand stood up straight and adjusted his jacket. “Thank you, Bastien. It’s about time you restored order here.”

“Including you,” Bastien said in a steely voice.

“What? I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“This incident has already caused enough of a disturbance. Do you really need to embarrass yourselves further in front of half the court?”

For the first time, Bertrand seemed to realize that everyone in the room was staring at them. Liam looked on, open mouthed. Neville managed to look disgusted and smug at the same time. The various other noblemen mostly looked uncomfortable.

“I . . . No. Come, Maxwell. We’re leaving.”

Maxwell looked worriedly at Drake and Riley. “I’ll, uh, catch up with you guys later.”

Drake turned to Riley. “Come on, let’s go.”

When they got outside, Drake was surprised to find the limo still there. He figured Bertrand and Maxwell must have taken it, but apparently they left in a different car. Drake got in and collapsed against the seat. That had been a disaster! Riley got in and instead of her usual spot next to him, she sat at the back where Maxwell usually sat. She must be so angry! Drake buried his face in his hands. Could he possibly have fucked that up worse? He told Bertrand Savannah’s secret when she had asked him not to. Not only that, he did it in front of half the court. He almost got into a fight with Bertrand and on top of everything, they didn’t get any information out of Bastien.

“Damn, Brooks, I’m sorry. I was such an idiot.”

“Drake . . .” she came closer. “I’ve never seen you so worked up.”

He let his head fall back against the seat. “I don’t know what happened. I need to get myself under control.” He sighed deeply. How could he possibly help Riley if he couldn’t trust himself. But that was the problem! They couldn’t trust  _ anyone _ .

“First the Beaumonts, now Bastien. Can we trust  _ anyone _ here?” he bemoaned. “I need to get away . . . away from this two-faced world and all it’s  _ damned _ lies.”

Riley sat up, alarmed. “Where are you going to go?”

“Oh! Not like . . . I didn’t mean . . . I saw a dive bar on the way over that should have plenty of drinks and zero nobles.”

Riley relaxed. “Oh! Then count me in. A dive bar sounds like the perfect cure for all this drama.”

“Really?” He was afraid she’d be mad at him and want to go back to the train after he messed everything up so badly.

Riley laughed and took his hand, lacing her fingers through his. “Of course! When have I ever turned down a chance to drink whiskey and hang out with you.”

Drake’s heart soared. He wasn’t sure why she still wanted to stick with him, but he certainly wasn’t going to send her away. “Then let’s get out of here.” He opened the privacy window to give the driver instructions and settled in for the ride.

“Drake?” Riley said quietly, cozying up next to him.

“Hmmmm?”

“You asked if we could trust anyone. All I know is that we can trust each other.”

He looked down at her in surprise. “You still trust me? After I fucked everything up tonight?”

“Drake.” Riley took his face in both her hands and forced him to meet her eyes. Her blue eyes looked as fierce as he’d ever seen them. “I trust you with my life.”

Drake had no idea what he had done to earn her trust, but he would do everything in his power not to disappoint her again.

The limo rolled to a stop and sure enough, there was a hole in the wall bar. He grinned at Riley, “Let’s go.”

They walked into the bar hand in hand and took in the ambiance. Ironically, it was themed as an American bar.

As great as the atmosphere at Liam’s bachelor party had been, it had far too many nobles having boring, stuck up conversations for Drake’s liking. “Now this is more like it.”

Riley laughed. “I didn’t expect an American theme in Paris. . . . I didn’t realize that American was a theme until we went to that western bar back near Applewood.”

“Hey, I’ll take it. First round’s on me.”

Riley shook her head in amusement. “There you go inviting me out and paying for things again. Think it’s time to admit this is a date?”

“I . . .” How did she always manage to throw him off? Fine. Drake smoothed his face. “I guess you could pay.”

Riley smirked at him. “Then it would definitely be a date.”

“Oh yeah? How do you figure?”

“If I’m paying, I get to call it whatever I want.”

“You know what, I’m going to get the whiskey.”

Drake walked up to the bar and pointed at the bottle of whiskey on the shelf.

The bartender took it down and opened it for him. “ _ Combien de verres, monsieur _ ?”

“Two,” Drake answered in English.

“Very good,” the bartender replied, also in English, putting two glasses on the counter and filling them with ice. Drake scanned the room and quickly found Riley sitting in a corner booth back in a deserted corner. He slid in next to her and poured.

“Here you go,” he said, passing her a glass.

“Easier than ordering pasta in Italian,” Riley teased.

“Hey, drinks are an even more universal language than food. Just point at what you want, and they’ll pour it. Besides, whiskey is the same in French as English.”

Riley chuckled and sipped her drink. “How on earth did you even spot this place? I didn’t even see it when we drove to the speakeasy.”

“It’s a gift. Drop me in any country and I can find you a dive bar.”

“So, I’m guessing you were the one that found my bar in New York.”

“I did.”

“Did you learn that on more solo expeditions while Liam was stuck in fancy parties?”

“I’ve gotten used to being on my own.”

“Drake, I wish I could’ve been there to keep you company.”

“You know what? Me too.”

Riley slid her hand into his. “Well, I’m here now, and you’re going to have a hard time getting rid of me.”

Drake brushed his thumb across her knuckles and he squeezed her hand tighter. “Get rid of you, Brooks? Never.” He drank in the sight of her and the weight of his words settled on him. He never wanted her to go. He would spend forever with her if he could.

Drake looked away. Those kinds of thoughts scared the shit out of him. He had never let himself think about the future, but ever since she came, it was all he could think about. But she still needed the chance to choose for herself - to really choose for herself without a scandal, without pressure from the Beaumonts, hell, without him pushing her away and telling her to marry Liam. And until then, thoughts about the future were his own brand of torture.

Riley finished her drink and poured another. “So. Should we talk about what happened back there? I can’t help feeling like I really fucked up.”

Wait. What?

“What are you talking about, Brooks? I'm the one -”

“You’ve been through a lot the last couple of days, and yet it’s always about me, about the investigation, about clearing my name. I didn’t give you any airtime to deal with your own shit. I’m sorry we never really got a chance to talk about everything after we left Savannah’s place. Judging from what happened with Bertrand, I guess you’ve been thinking about it.”

“Believe me, I wish I could stop thinking about it. I’ve worried about Savannah every single day since she ran away. I never stopped looking for her. I don’t know what’s worse. The fact that Maxwell knew where she was and didn’t tell me, or the fact that my own sister didn’t want me to find her.”

“Hey, Maxwell was just trying to respect Savannah’s wishes. I know it sucks, but it’s what she asked him to do. He was trying to protect her. Isn’t that what you would’ve done in his shoes?”

Damn it, why did she have to be smart? And right. “Maybe you’re right. I just hate the fact that she thought she needed protecting from me. I know I’m not always the easiest person to get along with -”

“True.”

“ . . . but I like to think I could’ve been there for her in some way. After tonight, I’m starting to feel like I can’t trust anyone.”

“Oh, Drake. I know Bastien was like family to you.”

Drake stared down into his glass. “Yeah.” He finished the drink and refilled it. “It wasn’t just that he was around for us when we were kids. When my father died, Bastien was the one who looked out for us. He drove us to the funeral. Told us old stories about dad.”

Riley reached up and ran her fingers through Drake’s hair, holding it firmly at the back of his neck. “I’m so sorry.”

“Me too, Brooks. Me too. I learned a long time ago that I couldn’t trust any nobles, but at least we had Bastien looking out for us from the inside. And now . . . I thought I knew him. Now he’s involved in the plot against you, Maxwell helped hide Savannah from me, and Bertrand’s a father.”

“I know this is hard, but I’m here for you. You can count on that. No matter what else happens.”

Could he? Would she really stick around? Forever? No one else ever had.

He stared intently into his whiskey glass. “You promise, Brooks?” he asked in a shaky voice. He turned his eyes on hers, afraid of what he would find, but there was only openness in them.

“I promise. Why do you think I’m here?”

He loved her so much. He couldn’t take losing her. Ever. He could tell her . . . “You . . . you mean a lot to me Brooks. I’m glad you’re still on my side, at least.”

“Someone has to be,” she said gently. Then her tone changed. “Besides, I wasn’t going to let you spend tonight moping by yourself. I officially declare all courtly drama off limits until tomorrow. This is a dive bar and we’re not gonna let it go to waste.”

“Does that mean . . . more drinks?”

Riley topped off their drinks. “Very much so. And it means it’s time for . . . a drinking game!”

Her eyes were sparkling as brightly as her dress. She actually seemed to shake off the weight of the investigation and his moaning about the Savannah situation. She seemed, much more like herself. Which if Drake knew anything, that meant he was in trouble.

“Oh boy.”

“You don’t even know what game it is yet!”

“I have a feeling you’re about to tell me.”

“This one’s called ‘Never Have I Ever’. You say something you’ve never done, and if the other person has done it -”

“They take a drink?”

“See? You’re a natural. Whoever’s had the least drinks after three rounds wins.”

“I don’t know about this. You sure you want to go up against me in a drinking game?”

“That sounds like a challenge. And I accept!”

“It wasn’t . . .” Actually, seeing Riley in a competitive mood and making bets with her like the early days of the social season was like a breath of fresh air. This was exactly what he needed. “No, nevermind. You’re on, Brooks.”

Riley squealed and clapped her hands

“Alright,” he said, “it’s your game, so you get to start.”

“I guess I’d better make this first question count.” She paused to think and then smiled. “Never have I ever been a prince’s handsome best friend.”

Aaaand she  _ had _ to make this about Liam. “Hey! There’s more to me than just being Liam’s best friend.”

Her eyes danced in amusement. “So you admit that you’re handsome?”

Wait, what just happened. He thought back through how she phrased the question. “You . . . I . . . “ Damn, she got him on that one. “I don’t even know how to respond to that.”

“By being flattered. And taking a drink, handsome!” 

She grinned at him as Drake shook his head and took a drink. Now he had to think of a surefire winner if he was going to stay in the game.

“Never have I ever . . . been set up with someone.” He knew she had, she’d told him at least three stories of terrible blind dates.

“Really? You haven’t?”

“Not even once.”

Riley cocked her head to the side, studying him. “I guess Maxwell and Liam aren’t the kind of friends who go around setting you up, huh?”

“They’ve usually got their own things going on. Drink up.”

Riley sipped her whiskey daintily and put the glass back down.

“No, Brooks. I said, ‘drink up’. Not sip it like you’re at the queen’s tea party.”

That earned him a laugh and she downed her whiskey. Refills in place, they were ready for round two.

“One to one. That’s more like it,” he said grinning at her as he started to feel the effects of the whiskey.

“Not for long,” Riley said with a wicked smile. “Never have I ever imagined someone in this room naked!”

Drake’s eyes involuntarily swept her body in a hungry gaze. He felt himself turn bright red as his whole body began to hum.

“Yes?” Riley asked him, grinning widely and practically bouncing in her seat. He was suddenly unable to pull his eyes away from her spectacular cleavage, barely visible through the black mesh. He was also pretty sure she was full of shit the way she’d stared at him shirtless at the barn-raising and the spa afterward. He locked his eyes on hers and drank his entire glass.

“You never go easy on me, do you, Brooks?”

“Never.”

“Don’t look so smug. How do you know that this has anything to do with you? Maybe I’m thinking of the bartender.”

Riley looked back at the bar. The bartender looked like a biker on an American tv show. Riley turned back to him, eyes still sparkling.

“I guess I’ll never really know,” she said. She put her hand on Drake’s leg, sliding it to the inside of his thigh and he turned bright red again.

“Exactly,” he choked out. He sat up straight, and Riley sat back laughing. “Ahem. Now it’s my turn.” If she wanted to play dirty, he could too. “Never have I ever taken advantage of a barn raising to stare at someone with their shirt off.”

“Hey!”

“Am I wrong,” he asked innocently.

“You know, you could’ve kept your shirt  _ on _ that day.”

“Maybe I wanted you to look.”

Riley hid her smile behind her glass, but drank it down, nevertheless. Drake leaned back, feeling like they were pretty even at this point.

“Don’t get too comfortable. We’ve still got one more round!”

“You’re on,” he said, topping off their glasses. “Alright, Brooks. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Drake watched Riley as the wheels turned in her head. Then, she turned on her most seductive smile, which combined with the alcohol, made him dizzy. She leaned in and whispered in his ear, “Never have I ever had a scandalous dream about the two of us in bed together.”

Holy shit, how was he supposed to respond to that? “You really play for keeps, Brooks. I’m kind of impressed.” The air pulsed around them as the tension grew. Drake’s heart was racing. She was still leaning in, inches away from him, biting her bottom lip. It made him crazy, just a few inches closer and he could bite for her.

“A rare compliment from Drake Walker. And the answer?”

He picked up the glass without breaking eye contact with her and slowly drank the whole thing.

“I knew it,” she said with that seductive smile.

“Don’t get too cocky. I’ve still got one chance left.”

“Final shot,” she said leaning back into her seat with a smug look.

“Never have I ever eaten deep-dish pizza.”

A smile spread across Riley’s face. “Nice try, but that makes two of us.”

“What? You’ve gotta be honest with me, Brooks.”

“I am! You’re talking to a New Yorker, remember? Deep-dish is a Chicago thing.”

“Let me guess. There are no do-overs in this game.”

“Nope. You have to live with your mistakes.”

“Alright, that brings the score to three points to two. Looks like you won this one, Brooks.”

“That’s it? You aren’t going to give me a hard time?”

“Oh, you want me to call you on your bullshit?”

Riley chuckled and toyed with her still full glass of whiskey. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You wanna tell me that you were honest in those last two questions you came up with?”

Riley hid her smile behind her glass again, but wasn’t very successful at it, She was clearly already in the giddy stage of drunk. “Guess you’ll never know,” she answered and then downed her glass without breaking eye contact.

“Oh, you’re totally a cheater. You were right though. This was way less terrible than thinking about everything back at court.”

“So what did I win?”

“Win? I didn’t know we were playing for stakes.”

“House rules. You owe me something. The stakes are . . . a kiss!”

“Brooks . . . Are you sure about this?”

She leaned forward again, pressing herself against him, “I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want. But after tonight and everything that’s happened, I -”

He was kissing her before she could finish that sentence. Riley gasped as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer into the deep, longing kiss, bodies pressing into each other, trying to get as close as possible.

When they finally pulled apart, they were flushed and breathless. Desire still vibrated in the air between them.

“You don’t make this easy,” Drake said, unable to look away from her.

“I dunno, it felt pretty easy to me . . .” she said, twirling the ends of his hair around her finger.

“Very funny. I mean, trying to control how I feel about you. I can’t.”

“Is that such a bad thing?”

“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. What would happen if he fully gave himself over to her? Sitting in this bar with her, in an alcohol induced haze, without all the pressure of court, feeling her desire equal his own, it did seem . . . easy. He reached out to tuck a strand of her hair back into place. “I’d be lying if I said I regretted it, though.”

“So would I,” she whispered. Riley pulled him in and kissed him again. It started slowly, but built into something more relentless and insistent.

Riley pulled away when the bartender dropped a check on their table. “He probably wants to close up.”

Drake looked around and realized they were the only people left in the bar. How long had they been here?

“Yeah, we should get going,” he said, his thoughts still hazy. The look in her eyes said she wasn’t ready to go yet, but they did need to get out of the bar. Drake dropped some cash on the table and they walked outside. 

The second they walked outside, they ducked into the alleyway behind the bar. Riley backed into the wall, pulling him with her by the lapels on his jacket. His mouth met hers in another fierce kiss.

“We should . . .go . . .back . . . to the . . . train,” Drake whispered between Riley’s fervent kisses.

“Hmmmm?”

“Come on, Brooks, we can’t stay out all night.”

“Fine, but we’re taking the long way.”

Drake wasn’t sure what she meant, but she stayed outside the limo to talk to the driver. They were only about half a mile from the train, they could easily walk, but she’d insisted they ride back. A moment later, she climbed in next to him, and the car started up.

“What’d you tell him?” Drake asked.

“I told him to drive us around for awhile since I’d never seen Paris as night.

“Oh, I guess we’ve been a bit busy.”

“Drake,” she purred, climbing onto his lap, straddling him, “I don’t give a fuck about the lights of Paris. The only view I need is right here.”

“Oh!” His hands roamed up her legs and settled holding her ass, pulling her tightly against him as she wound herself around him and kissed him deeply.

It was quite late when they arrived back at the train, but it hadn’t seemed like enough time. Neither one of them had bothered to look at Paris at night and Drake’s lips were numb from kissing her. Climbing out of the limo, they straightened their clothes and rearranged themselves into something that approached respectable. Riley started walking toward the train platform, but Drake tugged her hand, pulling her back toward him.

“I just wanted to say . . .thanks. For coming with me. I’m glad I didn’t end up drinking alone tonight.”

Riley ran her hand through his hair.

“Drake. . . you have to know that I care about you. I could never leave you to deal with all of this alone. You’re important to me.”

He caught her hand and kissed her open palm. “I won’t pretend to understand why. But I’m glad.”

She cared about him. He was important to her. None of that meant she would choose him at the end of all this madness.

“We should go to bed, or we’ll both be asleep on our feet tomorrow,” he said sadly.

“You’re probably right. . .”

“And since I have no will power left to resist you, I’m . . . I’m gonna say goodnight here.”

“No will power, huh?” Riley asked, stepping closer.

Drake kissed her forehead. “Goodnight, temptress.”

They separated and entered the train closest to their own sleeping quarters. Drake couldn’t keep the grin off his face as he made his way to the train compartment he shared with Maxwell, until Bastien stepped into his path.

“Drake . . .”

Drake tried to push past him, “I don’t have anything to say to you.”

“You’re getting careless with her,” Bastien said, blocking Drake’s path. “You’ve never been careless before.”

“You don’t have the right to talk about her. Not to me.”

“Keep it up and she’ll end up in another scandal. But this time it won’t be because of me.”

“What’s the scandal here, Bastien? We’re adults, we’re both single. We can do whatever we want. Liam's engaged, and she’s not a suitor so . . . there it is.”

“You’re a fool if you think King Liam is done with her. You know he has no intention of marrying Lady Madeleine.”

“Well, maybe she’s done with him.”

Bastien seemed to consider that for a brief moment, but shook his head. “Kings get what they want Drake. I know you don’t think of him that way because you’ve been friends since you were children, but he is one of them. If he wants her, he’ll have her. Guys like you and me don’t stand a chance.”

Drake paused, looking at the man who had been his role model in the years after his father’s death. For the first time, he realized that Bastien had never married. Did something happen? Had he lost someone he loved to the nobility he served? “I used to believe that too, Bastien. But now . . . maybe it will be different this time.”

“Someone’s going to get hurt here, Drake. Who do you think that is most likely to be?”

“I don’t know why I’m even talking to you about this Bastien. If you cared so much about people not getting hurt, you wouldn’t have hurt all of us by setting her up  _ in the first place _ .”

“I told you Drake, you do not want to get involved in this.”

“Too late.”

Bastien sighed deeply. “I didn’t want any of this to happen, but for what it’s worth, I am sorry.”

“Forgive me for not thinking it’s not worth much right now. Goodnight Bastien,” Drake said, finally walking past him to his own room. 

Maxwell was already sleeping when Drake walked in. He collapsed on his bed and pondered all the puzzle pieces. Tariq was given the fake love letter and room change by the maid at Applewood. The maid was asked to do it by Penleope so she could keep a high place at court. Bastien was the one that offered her the place at court . . . But Bastien didn’t have the authority to make that offer, so he must have had orders from. . . 

Drake sat up like a shot.

The only people who gave orders to Bastien and would have the authority over who was welcome at court were the King and Queen. It had to be. Nothing else made sense. But which one was it, how could they find out, and what could they even do about it?

Drake couldn’t fall asleep for the rest of the night. He made his way to the dining car and made himself some coffee while he sorted out his thoughts. Regina seemed like the most likely of the two. Madeleine was her cousin and they were close. She made no effort to hide the fact that she favored Madeleine throughout the social season. Regina was also sneaky and manipulative. Drake tried to remember everything he could about the Coronation night, searching his memory for any clue that would help.

When morning came and the sun started streaming through the windows, he jumped up and made his way through the train to Riley’s room. He knocked on the door until she threw it open.

“Drake?” she said through bleary eyes.

Ooops. He realized that it was still very early and they were up very late. “Brooks, I had a realization.” He stepped into the room and closed the door.

“You’re madly in love with me and trying to fight it is stupid?”

“No! I mean, er . . . I . . . that’s not . . . huh?”

She smiled, but couldn’t quite get to laughter. “I’m teasing Drake. A little. What did you realize? And did you sleep at all?”

“No. No sleep. Just . . . listen. There’s a very short list of people that Bastien would feel compelled to obey, no matter what the order.”

“What are you suggesting.”

“This runs all the way to the top. We need to investigate the former king and queen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I started writing this, I wanted to justify what the characters say with just their internal monologue - not so different from what we do in acting. You can’t change the words on the page, you have to make them make sense. Well, that’s been thrown out the window and there’s hardly a canon scene that I haven’t tweaked and rewritten or expanded. 
> 
> That said, the Never Have I Ever scene is probably my favorite scene in Book 2 and I’ve re-written it in my head at least a dozen times.
> 
> I also don’t know where Drake gets this super-human self-restraint from. I know PB loves a slow-burn, but even writing these scenes is an exercise in restraint!


	35. Heroes and Villains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riley spends time with her friends as the investigation narrows its focus to Queen Mother Regina.

Riley’s ears were ringing. Either Queen Regina or King Constantine had been responsible for setting her up. What could she possibly do in the face of that? If they didn’t want her at court, she did not belong here. They had the power and influence to make her life hell and they answered to no one. 

She looked at Drake, he looked worried, and tired.

“So, you think our best bet is to get something out of Regina is at the tea party tomorrow?”

“Probably. I can’t imagine there will be an opportunity to talk to her before then.”

“Then you should get some sleep,” she said firmly.

“Brooks . . .”

“Drake, you need sleep. You can stay here and sleep if you want. I’ll go see if Hana and Maxwell are busy today. Maybe they’ll have some ideas about talking to Regina.”

“I don’t want to leave you alone.”

“I won’t be. And I’m not in any more danger than I was yesterday, we just have more information now and that’s a good thing. And if you really want to help me, you need rest.”

“I guess you’re right.”

Riley wrapped her arms around Drake and buried her face in his chest. She relaxed as she felt his arms come around her.

“Thank you,” she murmured.

Drake pulled back and rubbed the back of his neck. “Er, you’re welcome . . . but, for what?”

Riley smiled up at him, wishing that he could see himself the way she did. “For everything Drake. For figuring out what Bastien’s involvement meant. For always looking out for me and keeping me safe. For not giving up.”

Drake twined a lock of her hair around his finger. “I told you, my life would have been so much easier if I could have just hated you.”

“But it would be much less fun.”

“True.”

“Here, lay down. Get some sleep. We’ll catch up with you later.”

“I don’t think I can sleep. My brain won’t shut off.”

“Will it help if I lay down with you?”

Drake smirked at her. Damn, that still made her knees feel like jelly. “Pretty sure  _ that _ would be the opposite of restful.”

“I’ll be good,” she told him with an innocent smile.

“Ha!”

“Hey, all those times we stayed up in Applewood, I restrained myself.”

“I don’t remember getting any sleep at all the last night. We both had to sleep on the train the whole next day.”

“Which is what you need to do now.”

Drake eyed her bed and stifled a yawn. “Alright Brooks, just be careful, okay?”

“I can take care of myself. Cross my heart.” 

It took about thirty seconds for Drake to be sound asleep on Riley’s bed. She quickly dressed in something comfortable and took Chance out for a walk. Before she could leave the train, she heard Maxwell calling out to her.

“Riley! Are you taking Chance for a walk?”

“Yeah, I figured he needed to get some fresh air.”

“Can I come?”

“You have a standing invitation to all Chance’s walks.”

“Cool. Hey, have you seen Drake? He didn’t come back last night and after last night -”

“Oh . . . yeah, he’s sleeping in my room.”

“ _ Ooooh _ . So I was right about that dress,” Maxwell said suggestively.

“Stop Maxwell, it’s not like that. I’m not reckless. He figured out something about Bastien and was up all night trying to come up with a plan.”

“What did he figure out? We had to leave so fast last night, I didn’t even get to hear what you guys found out.”

“Well, Bastien wouldn’t talk to us, but he did say that there was someone else involved and implied that he _ had _ to do it because he was told to.”

“Okay . . . but if he won’t tell us who. . .”

“That’s what Drake figured out. The only people Bastien takes orders from are -”

“The king and queen!”

“Exactly.”

Maxwell was quiet for awhile as they walked the paths of the park they’d found. Finally he broke the silence.

“This is good.”

“It is? ‘Cause honestly, I’m a little terrified. They’re still very powerful royalty. There are a lot of people at court and even servants who are more loyal to them than Liam at this point.”

“I know. I don’t blame you for being scared, but Riley, look how far we’ve come. A couple weeks ago we didn’t know anything about the plot against you. Now the suspect list is down to two.”

“Two of the most powerful people in the country with no one to hold them accountable.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. There is someone to hold them accountable. Now.”

For the first time in ages, Riley felt some hope. “Liam.”

“Yes. And if we know anything, it’s that Liam is on your side.”

“Thanks Maxwell, I really don’t know what I would have done without you.”

“Wallowed in despair and starved to death. Or gone back to New York, got another crappy apartment and crappy job, made some friends that are definitely not as cool as we are. Wasn’t that your plan?”

“More like, stayed in New York and never gotten wrapped up in this craziness to begin with.”

Maxwell looked sadly off into the distance. “I’m sorry I got you into this Riley.”

“Hey! I was just joking. I don’t regret coming with you. Even after all this, I’d still get on that plane.”

“Really? I wouldn’t blame you if you hated me for dragging you through all this. . .”

“None of this was your fault Maxwell! I could never hate you.”

“Oh good! Race you back to the train!”

Maxwell started running, with Riley and Chance lagging behind.

Back on the train, they ran into Hana.

“Hey Riley, since we have the day free, I was wondering if you wanted to join me on a visit to an old library I often went to on trips to Paris?”

“I would love to see it!”

“Great, I’ll get my coat.”

*******************

Hana and Riley arrived at the library that was one of the largest libraries Riley had ever seen. She loved the New York Public Library and its iconic lion statues, but this library had an even greater magnitude and rows of books as far as she could see.

“This place is massive!” she remarked, taking it all in, her voice echoing off the marble columns and floors.

“Riley! Remember to keep your voice down. . . . This is a library.”

“Sorry, sorry, sorry! I forgot. I’m just amazed at how immense it is.”

“It’s also very old. It’s actually one of the largest literary collections in Europe.”

“Wow. . . just imagine all the stories these walls must hold,” Riley said, walking with her eyes wandering up the six floors above them.

“I’ve tried. I read as many as I could get my hands on when I was a teenager.”

Riley looked at Hana and smiled. “I figured you would be too busy with etiquette lessons and dance recitals to read much.”

“Actually, reading was a part of my classical training. One of the few parts I absolutely feel in love with. Nothing else allowed me to escape so effortlessly into lives more exciting than my own. One day I was Anne Shirley galavanting in the idyllic farms of Nova Scotia, and the next I was Phlieas Fogg, trying to circumnavigate the globe.”

“When you put it like that, it does sound exciting. I always related to Anne Shirley myself.”

Hana giggled. “You and Anne both have a certain flair for the dramatic. But, those characters were my best friends.”

“Did you have a favorite?”

“Hmmm . . . I did always identify with Jane Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. She was my role model.”

“Not Lizzy?”

“Of course not,” Hana said with a laugh. “Elizabeth is much more outspoken and rebellious than me. Though I did beg my parents for a sister just like her.”

“Well, now you have one in me!”

“You definitely have her adventurous spirit. And you’re always there when I need you, just like she is for Jane.”

“So your wish came true.”

Hana’s eyes lit up. “I suppose it did.” She turned back to the rows of books and ran her fingers across the spines. “Losing myself in those stories made it easy to imagine getting swept up in an epic romance.”

“Was the reading always assigned to you by your parents?”

“Mostly, except for the time I snuck a copy of . . .” Hana glanced around the room and lowered her voice, “Wuthering Heights.”

“Hana, it’s cute that you think that’s scandalous.”

“I’ll have you know that Wuthering Heights caused quite an outrage in its time.”

“I’m aware, but it’s been awhile since the 19th century and what’s considered scandalous has evolved just a bit. Just wait until you read Fifty Shades of Grey.”

Hana laughed lightly and shook her head. “What about you, Riley? Do you have a favorite book?”

“All time favorite? There are a lot of books I love, but I’d have to pick Charlotte's Web. It’s been my favorite ever since I was a kid.”

“Ooh, I love Charlotte’s Web! I have a pink pillow I called Wilbur and I would play Charlotte. There was even a mouse that lived in my attic that I called Templeton. Well, until the housekeepers set a trap for him.”

“Oh . . .”

“After that, I just painted whiskers on a rock.”

Riley shook her head. She couldn’t imagine the lonely existence Hana had grown up in. Riley wasn’t a stranger to high expectations set by her parents and desperately trying to please them, but she’d had friends and been allowed to pursue her own interests. And marriage prospects weren’t even a conversation.

“Something I used to do when I visited a library was leave notes in books for the next people who checked them out.”

“Aww, that’s so sweet. What kind of things did you write?” Riley asked, delighted by this idea.

“Words of encouragement, my favorite recipes, book recommendations . . . That sort of thing.”

“Do you have a piece of paper?”

“Yeah, in my bag. Why?”

“We’re going to write messages of course!”

Riley walked down one of the rows and pulled a book of Emily Dickinson poems off the shelf.

“Oh,” Hana sighed happily, “I love Emily Dickinson.” Hana handed you some paper and a pen. “What are you going to write?”

“Something inspirational, like ‘You’re brave . . . make the leap.’”

“That’s appropriate advice coming from you. You’ve shown me that sometimes leaps of faith are worth the risk.”

Hana wrote down her own note, which Riley snatched from her hand. 

“Leave a little bit of kindness everywhere you go. Hana . . .”

“What? Is it too corny?”

“No, it’s just so perfectly you.”

They spent the next hour writing notes and hiding them in books around the library. Finally running out of ideas, they sat at one of the large heavy desks in the reading room and Riley sighed.

“Riley, what’s on your mind?”

“Well . . . last night we tried to get Bastien to tell us about the plot and it seems that he arranged the set-up under orders from someone higher up. Like all the way higher up.”

“Oh!”

“Yeah, so we have to investigate the former King and Queen and it just seems like . . . if they want me out of their country so badly, maybe I should just . . . go.”

“Don’t say that Riley! Whichever one of them did this to you was wrong. You belong in Cordonia and I can’t imagine it without you. In fact, I’m certain that if one of them really does want you to leave, they’re probably the only person that does.”

“Oh Hana, I don’t deserve a friend like you.”

“Well that’s just silly! Of course you do. And I’m so grateful for that friendship Riley.”

“Me too. This was nice, Hana. Thank you for showing me a slice of your upbringing.”

“If you want to know more about my upbringing, just wait until we get to China.”

*********

The next day, Riley was in the middle of feeding Chance when she heard a knock at the door. “Rise and shine!” called the voice on the other side of the door.

“That’s got to be Maxwell Beaumont,” she said, crossing the room and sliding the door open.

“The one and only!”

Chance barked happily at Maxwell, who was more than happy to join Chance on the floor and give out belly rubs. “Ah, yes. My entrance is welcomed by the corgi’s choir.”

“You know it’s almost noon, right? I’ve actually been awake for hours.”

“Oh, really? Great work!”

Riley rolled her eyes. “ . . . Thanks.”

“So, are you ready for afternoon tea with the former queen?”

“More or less,” Riley said with a mixture of resignation and anger. She’d never really cared for Regina. She was entirely too much like Madeleine. Even though she was a decent queen from what Riley could tell and what Liam had told her, she was pretentious and boring. It was obvious that she favored Madeleine, but Riley could forgive that. She would have a much harder time forgiving her for putting Riley in such a compromising position. She knew Cordonia wasn’t exactly a bastion of feminism, but she would hope as a woman, she wouldn’t put another woman in such a position.

“I know she’s not your favorite person at the moment, but on the bright side, this could be the perfect opportunity to corner her and get your answers! At a public event, she’ll be caught off-guard! She won’t be able to run off or dodge you.”

“Good point.”

“So, get ready. We don’t want to be late!”

“Can Chance come? I hate leaving him alone all day.”

“I don’t think so. Luckily, I’ve arranged for one of the staff to look after Chance if we’re ever gone for too long! He’ll receive all the attention, treats, and walks his fluffy little self can handle.”

“That’s good. I’ve been worried he’d get too cooped up here.”

“Let’s go!”

They made their way to the boutique to find a new tea time dress. Fortunately, Hana had already pulled something for her. Riley tried on the light pink floral dress. She felt like a cupcake.

Hana and Olivia looked on approvingly. “Not bad,” Olivia remarked.

“I see you’re wearing black. Why does Olivia get to wear black?”

Olivia rolled her eyes. “I don’t have to impress anyone anymore.”

“I don’t give a -”

“Ooooookay,” Maxwell interrupted. “The dress is great. Right Riley?”

“Oh yes. I feel ready for anything. Especially tea.”

Hana stifled a giggle. “Perfect! Let’s go.”

*************

When they arrived at the tea room, Riley almost gagged at the amount of pick and ruffles and doilies. She felt that she had just walked in Delores Umbridge’s office, all that was missing were the cats. And the evil witch.

“Wow, I’m drowning in ruffles,” Riley muttered.

“I’m afraid that’s one of the finer points of an elegant event like this one,” Madeleine said from behind Riley. Oh, well, found the evil witch.

“Oh! Madeleine . . . didn’t see you there.”

“All the same, I heard what you said. To be honest, I wouldn’t expect you to appreciate it, Lady Riley, so don’t strain yourself.”

“Well, I suppose we’re all allowed to have our own style. This suits you . . . perfectly.”

“Well, do try to enjoy yourself.”

Riley watched Madeleine saunter off. Olivia scowled in her direction. “I never liked her.”

“You don’t like anyone,” Riley reminded her.

“True, but I especially dislike her.”

Hana looked between Riley and Olivia. “Oh dear. Let’s get something to drink.”

They found a table and tried the tea. It was delicious, and Riley was not even a tea person.

“Mmm! This is heavenly!” Hana declared, nearly melting into her seat.

Olivia suppressed a smile as she placed her cup back on the saucer. “It’s a close match to the quality of Lythikos’s blend, but still not quite.”

Riley surveyed the room, noting where Regina was sitting with Duchess Adelaide. She also saw where Drake stood, talking with Liam. She wondered if Drake would have even come to this event if it weren’t for the investigation. Finally her eyes fell to Lord Neville and Lord Rashad. She nudged Hana.

“Looks like your two most eligible suitors are here.”

“Oh! I hadn’t even thought about running into them! I suppose I’d better try to talk with them.” 

Hana looked miserable and Riley felt guilty for even bringing it up. “Hana, I wish you didn’t have to do this.”

Hana bit her lower lip and Riley could see her trying to talk herself into it, her parents’ voices probably thundering in her head. “I have to.”

Olivia cleared her throat. “You’ve got to stand out if you want to land one of them. This room is swarming with noble ladies. Try batting your eyes until the suitors are irresistibly drawn to you.”

Riley kicked Olivia under the table.

Hana looked at Olivia, puzzled. “That’s not . . . exactly . . . how things work.”

“No, but it’d be fun to see how long you could keep it up.”

“Hmmmm,” Riley said thoughtfully. “Like how it’d be fun to see me kiss Constantine’s shoe.”

“No, that would have been hilarious. Unfortunately, neither of you are as gullible as Penelope.”

“Olivia? What did you make Penelope do?”

“Nothing at all,” Olivia said with a bemused smile on her lips.

Riley rolled her eyes and turned back to Hana, “I’ve got an idea! You should pretend you’re choking.”

Olivia looked startled and turned back to Hana, who seemed to be considering it. “I never would have suspected that such a show of weakness would be . . . desirable.”

Riley shrugged. “Guys love a damsel in distress.”

“Really? My aunt always said guys love a woman who can sustain a siege on two fronts . . .”

Riley kept her face straight and silently thanked her acting coaches, “Well, maybe that too, but we don’t have time for a siege. What do you think, Hana?”

Hana grinned, “I’ll try your idea, Riley! Here goes . . .”

Hana winked at Riley as she delicately took a bite of scone. She coughed, held her breath for a moment turning slightly red, and then coughed again.

“Help!” Riley called as people started turning their direction. “She’s choking! She needs help! Neville? Rashad?”

The men rushed to Hana’s side. Rashad slapped Hana’s back while Neville took her hand, concerned looks on both their faces.

Hana cleared her throat and looked at both of them adoringly. “Oh my! That’s better now. Thank you, both!”

Riley stood and pulled Olivia with her to give Hana a chance to talk to Neville and Rashad alone. “Olivia, we should socialize with some other ladies while we’re here.”

Olivia tossed her head, “Of course, let’s engage in frivolous social conversation and witty banter.”

“We’ll have the wittiest banter.”

“Of course, I’m there after all.”

Riley was delighted by the fact that Olivia seemed to have actually accepted her as a friend. While Hana and Maxwell would probably always hold the place of her best friends, Olivia was one of the coolest people Riley had met in Cordonia. Now that she was getting a better glimpse of the human being behind the bitchy bravado, she found she really liked Olivia, which is what she figured would happen all along. As they laughed their way in the direction of the dessert table, they missed that they were walking straight toward Liam until it was too late.

“Well, hello. What a pleasure to see you here, Lady Riley. You look stunning as always.”

Riley felt Olivia tense next to her. Oh Liam! She wanted to shake him! There was a perfectly beautiful, intelligent, badass of a duchess who happened to be in love with him standing right next to her, but apparently he had tunnel vision. Maybe it was unfair, considering the fact that she had a bit of tunnel vision herself, but she’d been clear that she wasn’t going to sneak around with him. She desperately needed to come clean with him about Drake, so they could all move on.

“Thank you.” Riley nodded as subtly as she could in Olivia’s direction, hoping Liam would get the hint. His eyes went wide for just a moment before slipping back into King mode.

“And Lady Olivia, it’s wonderful to see you as well. I didn’t know you’d be attending the events in Paris.”

Olivia sighed before adopting an air of disinterest, “Well, you never know where I’ll turn up, I suppose.”

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

Oliva drew herself up straighter, “No. You seem well. I’m glad for that. But I should go.”

Olivia turned to go, but Riley caught her arm and whispered, “Are you okay?”

Her eyes wandered back to Liam and turn downward. “He’s engaged to Madeleine and in love with you . . .I can’t help how I feel about him, can I? At least I still have my pride. Just let me leave with it.” She pulled her arm gently from Riley’s grip and walked away, head held high.

Liam approached Riley, watching Olivia leave. “I wonder what that was about?”

Riley looked startled, “Do you?”

“Yes, she seemed. . . upset. That’s not like her.”

“Oh, Liam. Are you really blind to how she feels about you?”

Liam’s expression went from surprised to embarrassed and back to stoic in a matter of milliseconds. Riley sighed, “So you do know. Then perhaps you can be a little more sensitive. She’s dealing with it.”

His eyes still followed Olivia and Riley wondered if there were any romantic feelings on Liam’s side as well. “She’s been through so much,” he whispered. He shifted, leaning back toward Riley, eyes intent on hers. “Speaking of which, how are you doing?”

“I’m . . . enjoying the tea party.”

“I’m told we have the finest selection of petit fours in all of Paris.”

“That’s quite a claim. I haven’t seen them yet. I’ll have to verify this myself.”

“Please let me know what your findings are,” Liam said, gesturing to the dessert table with a smile.

“My investigation will be very thorough.”

Liam chuckled, “I look forward to a full report.” He looked up to see a group walking toward them. “I fear our time alone is coming to an end. . . I’d better greet these guests. But if you need me, come find me later.”

“I will. Thanks.”

Riley started toward the dessert table but saw Drake talking to Kiara and decided to observe from a distance. Drake was perusing the desserts and Kiara was leaning toward him, casually twirling the end of her hair, definitely flirting. For a moment, Riley considered her options. She could finally put all the sneaking around and rumors to rest by sweeping all the stupid pastries aside and making out with Drake on the table. She could smash a plate of petit fours in Kiara’s face. Riley sighed. It looked like she would have to resort to good old fashioned interrupting.

“So, Savannah was taking French lessons for months?” Drake was saying.

For a brief moment, Riley felt bad. She’d already gotten in the way of him asking Kiara about Savannah, but . . . they’d also already found Savannah. He could talk to her everyday now.

“Oh, yes. I really enjoyed teaching her. French is my favorite of all the languages that I speak. I’ve always found it to be such a romantic language.”

Okay, that was quite enough of that!

“Hey, guys,” Riley said brightly.

Kiara’s face fell, but she quickly smoothed it and stood up. “Oh, hello, Lady Riley.”

Drake’s face softened, “Hey, Brooks.”

Kiara looked between the two of them and suddenly seemed more insecure than Riley had ever seen her.

“Well, not to interrupt, but . . .I’m interrupting,” Riley said bluntly.

Drake, who still seemed oblivious to Kiara’s attempts to flirt with him, looked confused. “Interrupting? Nah, you’re not interrupting anything other than a desperate search for something edible on this table.”

Kiara deflated, and with one last look at Drake said, “Yes, of course. Nothing at all. I’d . . . better go.”

Once Kiara had disappeared into the crowd, Riley turned her attention to Drake. “You know you’re mine, right?”

The corner of his mouth turned up as he set his eyes on hers. “You’re cute when you’re jealous, you know that?”

Riley was feeling bold and very tired of playing princess at tea parties. She was a grown woman, not a seven year old dressed up in her mother’s heels. And knowing that no matter how well she played the role, the former King or Queen had still set her up for a very real violation of her privacy and her body. It just proved to her that this whole fucked up system needed to burn.

Riley turned on her most seductive voice and let her finger skim down Drake’s arm. “Believe me, if I need to stake my claim on you, I’m not going to be shy about doing it.”

She watched in delight as Drake inhaled sharply and his eyes turned almost black. “And what would that look like?”

She turned to see if Kiara was watching them. She was. Riley leaned in and whispered in Drake’s ear, “I’m debating between a  _ very _ public,  _ very _ passionate kiss. . .” Drake let out a shaky breath. “And shoving Kiara into the petit fours the next time she flirts with you.”

“As much as I would love either one of those options, we both know you’ve got nothing to worry about. You’re the only girl for me, Brooks. Anyway, don’t we have more important things to talk about?”

Riley’s eyes were still locked on Drake, not wanting to let go of the heated moment, which was a thousand times more fun than investigating Regina. “Can’t think of anything. . . unless you mean the fact that you stick out like a sore thumb here.”

“Very funny.”

“Why are you here, anyway? This seems like the kind of even you’d bend over backwards to avoid.”

“Any other year . . . you wouldn’t catch me here. But, I figured you might need some support today with the . . . er . . .mission. Not that I think you need me. But in case you wanted help . . . I wanted to be here for you.”

Riley stood staring at him for a moment. It was like . . .he’d actually been listening to her. For the first time, he wasn’t trying to fix the problem for her, or step between her and the problem like a knight in shining armor, he just . . . offered support. . . if she wanted it. Who was this even sexier version of Drake?

“Aw . . . thanks, Drake.”

“So . . . what’s your plan, Alpha Wolf?”

For a moment, the only plans she could formulate were finding the nearest room with a door and a lock and having her way with Drake, but since they actually were here for information, she forced herself to look around the room and locate Regina. She found her sitting talking to some of the older noble ladies, including Adelaide. Riley knew she wouldn’t be able to talk to her with so many people around, so she needed to pull attention somewhere else. 

“We might need some backup. Maybe a diversion to draw most of the nobles away?”

Drake nodded. “I’ll go find Maxwell.”

Yes, that was logical. Maxwell did seem to be particularly skilled at creating diversions. But she was surprised Drake was willing to talk to him right now. She was under the impression he was still angry.

“But I thought you and Maxwell -”

“It’s for you,” he said as if that was the answer to everything. “I’m not going to let my personal gripes get in the way. And maybe you can see if Liam is available to help. Meet back here?”

“Roger.” Riley saluted and spun on her heel to find Liam. Before she could make her way over to him, she was cornered by Penelope.

“Hey, Lady Riley . . . I know you’re probably not very happy to see me again. But I wanted to find a chance to apologize to you for working against you.”

Riley was a little startled. Since everything that had happened with Bastien, Savannah, and the Bachelor party, Penelope was the furthest thing from her mind. 

“It’s okay. I’m over it.”

“Really?” Penelope squealed. “This is even better than when I found out that a poodle and a schnauzer make a schnoodle.”

Riley blinked twice and decided to ignore that particular bit of dog trivia. “Just promise me that you’re not going to do anything like that again.”

“I  _ promise _ ! You’re one of my best friends here, Riley. I’m never going to make a mistake like that again. I should go. Kiara and Madeleine will be waiting for me.”

Riley shook off the encounter and made her way to Liam.

“Hello, again,” he greeted her with a smile. 

“I may need your help,” she said, ignoring the puppy dog eyes he was looking at her with again.

“Just tell me what to do.”

Just then, they were joined by Drake and Maxwell.

“I’m here to save the day,” Maxwell announced a tad too loudly and drawing eyes from the nearby tables.

“Tone it down, chief,” Drake hissed at him. Drake’s jaw was tense and she knew that his beef with Maxwell was far from resolved just because they were working together to help her.

“Toning it down!” Maxwell said, bopping along to an imaginary beat and not toning it down in the slightest.

“What’s our play here?” Liam asked Riley.

“I need a distraction so I can talk to Queen Mother Regina away from the crowd of nobles.”

Liam looked thoughtfully at Drake and Maxwell. “So we must draw a crowd.”

Maxwell did a quick spin. “Dance-off? I’m feeling a dance-off. Drake, drop a beat.”

Drake covered his face with a hand and Riley could tell he was at the end of his patience with Maxwell. She hoped they could make it through the day in one piece. “Maxwell, we’re at a fancy tea party,” he said. Somehow I think that might be  _ too _ distracting.”

“Right,” Riley agreed. “We need something that will get people’s attention, but not something that will stop the party in its tracks. I still need people around so Regina doesn’t run off or try to kill me or something.”

Liam frowned in concern, “I’m not sure we should be putting you in such danger.”

Riley wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that. Did Liam think Regina was going to shank her at a tea party or something? Did he know something she didn’t know about his step-mother? She turned her eyes toward Regina. She didn’t look particularly lethal. Riley looked at Drake, who was holding in laughter, probably because he knew exactly how much she hated being treated like a helpless damsel in distress. Then she looked to Maxwell, who had a similarly amused look on his face. 

“Well, that might’ve been an exaggeration,” Riley said slowly, with a smile for Liam. “What I really mean is . . . what’s one step down from a dance-off?”

“There is one thing we could do,” Liam said with a smile to Drake and Maxwell. “We haven’t done it since primary school.”

“No,” Drake said firmly.

This piqued Riley’s curiosity. What embarrassing thing could Liam possibly be suggesting. Whatever it was, Riley was determined to make it happen now.

“Do you really mean it?” Maxwell asked, also apparently alarmed at the suggestion.

“Now I have to know,” Riley said, grinning at the men.

“The three of us were briefly in a singing quartet with Bertrand.”

This news delighted Riley to no end. “That’s amazing! I can’t imagine Bertrand agreeing to something like that.”

“Bertrand loved it,” Maxwell told her. “I don’t know how we’ll harmonize without him.”

“How about it then?” Liam said, looking primarily at Drake.

“I’m always in for . . . pretty much anything, actually!” Maxwell said, clapping Drake on the back and earning him a glare.

“Is there no other way? Can’t we light something on fire, or critically wound Maxwell?”

“Remember, we’ve got to do this for Riley,” Liam told him.

Drake looked at Riley and she watched him lose all his resolve. “Oh, fine. Fine. Let’s get it over with.” Then he pointed a finger at Riley. “You are  _ not _ allowed to bring this up ever again.”

“Your request is noted.” Riley was suddenly very disappointed that she was going to have to talk to Regina instead of listening to them sing.

As the guys took the attention in the center of the room, Riley tried to make her way casually toward Regina’s table. She was temporarily distracted by the Cordonian national anthem, sung in beautiful three part harmony by her friends, marveling at Drake’s clear tenor voice. She was . . . not expecting that for some reason.

Back to her task, and the whole reason the guys were singing in the first place, Riley noticed Regina and Adelaide in a heated discussion.

“Do you seriously think it was appropriate to try to arrange for male dancers at your own daughter’s bachelorette party?” Regina demanded.

Adelaide let out a carefree laugh as she swirled her champagne in a glass. Where did she get champagne at a tea party? “Appropriate? No. Amusing? Yes, definitely.”

“You’re just lucky that I was able to head off the incident before you created a scandal.”

“Oh, please. Madeleine’s young. She should have some fun!”

“I seriously doubt Madeleine would’ve been amused.”

Just then, Regina noticed Riley standing anxiously nearby and frowned deeply. “Lady Riley. Something I can help you with?”

It wasn’t ideal to catch Regina in an already bad mood and then make accusations. Riley debated how she wanted to play this and decided being direct would probably give her the most information. “Queen Mother Regina, I need to speak with you.”

Adelaide’s face opened with a wide grin as she took in Riley’s appearance. “Well, hello, dear. Anything you have to say to the Queen Mother you can say in front of me. We’re family, after all.”

If there was one person in the room that Riely really didn’t want knowing her business, it was Duchess Adelaide. She didn’t know the Duchess well, but from what she had seen and what Maxwell had told her, anything said in front of her would be in everyone’s ear by sunset, including the press. “I really would rather say it in private.”

Regina locked her eyes on Riley coldly. “You’re not likely to get much more privacy than this darling. Please, stop wasting all of our time and say what you have to say.”

“I need to know why you dislike me so much.”

Regina’s stoic expression broke for a moment as she raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Dislike you? Hardly. You’re not bad, in your commoner, New York-way. I’ve just never entirely seen you as the best queen for Cordonia. In fact, I’d reconciled myself to the fact that Liam was going to choose you the night of the Coronation.”

“Really?” Riley asked flatly.

“Don’t mistake my meaning. I’m glad he  _ didn’t _ , but I’d been prepared to accept it and make the best of it.”

Adelaide, who had been carefully watching Riley’s expression let out a hearty laugh. “Regina sure knows how to charm, doesn’t she?”

“I can be charming when I need to be.”

“I suppose you just don't happen to feel the need very often.”

Regina tsked in irritation. Across the room, the guys were finishing their song.

“It appears the entertainment is drawing to a close,” Regina said, pointedly looking at Riley.

“Wait! There’s one more thing I want to know. Just be honest, you conspired to put Madeleine on the throne.”

“Conspired? Well, I suppose I did try to help her in my own little way. But I think it’s no more than what was appropriate, given her situation. Considering she was engaged to Liam’s brother, and her standing at court, I think a small amount of preferential treatment was reasonable. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m ready to leave this tea party. It’s been rather disappointing if you ask me. The one request I made of the caterers is that they secure my favorite pastry for today, but there’s not one religieuse in sight!”

“The party’s ruined!” Adelaide mocked.

“No one asked for your opinion,” Regina said, narrowing her eyes at Adelaide, who only smiled in a carefree way. “Good day to you both.”

Regina stormed out of the room, leaving Riley and Adelaide alone. Riley’s skin crawled as she felt Adelaide eyeing her.

“Don’t mind her. She’s always been like that,” Adelaide said breezily.

Riley pondered the avenue that was now open to her and decided to pursue it. “Have you known Regina long?”

“Of course. She doesn’t like to talk about it . . .but we  _ are _ cousins.”

“Cousins? Why did you keep that a secret?”

“It’s not exactly a secret. I suppose it’s more like Cordonian courtly trivia. Though it wouldn’t surprise me if Regina is trying to keep it a secret. She always thought she was better than me. Better than the rest of the family. Marrying Constantine only made things worse. Oh, hell, I probably shouldn’t be saying any of this.”

In all her lessons with Bertrand about the court, the great families and the history of Cordonia, he had never included details about who at court was related and how. Thinking about it now, it made a certain amount of sense. Cordonia was a small country and most of the nobility married other members of the nobility, which probably meant there were a lot of second and third cousins criss-crossing family lines. It was interesting though that Regina felt herself above her family. If she had not married Constantine, Adelaide would certainly outrank her at court . . . unless Regina was meant to be the Duchess and Adelaide only inherited the title due to Regina’s ascension to royalty. That didn’t seem likely though and Riley wasn’t sure that it meant anything, but the obvious discord between the two women intrigued her and she wanted to find out more. 

“Don’t mind me. I’m happy to talk,” Riley said, waving off the older woman’s sudden shift.

“Well, it’s been a delight Riley. It looks like this party’s over, but I hope we’ll speak again.

Adelaide left Riley in the corner and the rest of the guests started to disperse. Liam, Drake, Maxwell made their over to them, as casually as possible when they were getting stopped every three feet to be gushed over, mostly by the older ladies of the court.

Maxwell took one last opportunity to wave at the crowd, “Thank you, my adoring fans.”

“I’m  _ really _ glad that’s over,” Drake said, as they reconvened with Riley.

“That was a good performance,” Hana said as she joined them.

“Thank you, Lady Hana. Drake still has some notes in him,” Liam said with a smile.

“And they should stay inside me,” Drake said pointedly. Riley resisted the overwhelming urge to wrap her arms around him and beg him to sing to her. If they weren’t in public, she would have. He seemed to sense this, as he ran a hand through his hair and looked away from her.

“Any luck with the Queen Mother, Riley?” Maxwell asked.

Riley pondered the question for a moment. She could not say for certain that Regina did not set her up, but her answers had felt . . . honest. Much like with Bastien, there was nothing direct or actionable. “I got some information . . . but I’m not sure what it all adds up to.”

Drake met her eyes, “There’s still the opera tomorrow. You might be able to get more out of her then.”

“I hope so.”

Tomorrow would be their last day in Paris, then they were flying out to Shanghai for a few days and then New York. More than half way through the tour, they were running out of time and still had no leads on where in the world Tariq might be, which was just as important as figuring out who was the mastermind behind the setup and Olivia’s blackmail. Riley scanned the room for Olivia, to see if she had any ideas, but she seemed to have left. She must have looked as stressed out as she felt because Drake was still looking at her with concern.

“Hey, you look like you could use something to take your mind off all of this. How about a group camping trip? The leaves are changing, and there’s a spot where we can see all the trees over the valley. Sunset included.”

Riley was not entirely surprised at Drake’s suggestion. It actually sounded amazing . . . and romantic. She was surprised that this invitation included the whole group.

“Did you just suggest we do things . . . with people?”

“I can take it back, if you’d like.” His voice was deadpan, but his mouth twitched at the corners in amusement.

Liam, who was not used to their banter, since he was rarely around them together, seemed to miss completely what passed between them. “She’s teasing you, Drake. Fortunately, there’s a break in the tour schedule tonight, so I can slip out for the night.”

“Are we allowed to just leave like that?” Hana asked. “Bastien doesn’t have to come with you?”

“I only need to notify a few guards, and we’re good to go. Nobody will miss us for a night.”

Drake had not taken his eyes off Riley. “How about it, Brooks? We can escape for a bit.”

Riley nodded. “I need a reprieve from all this.”

“I think we all do,” Liam agreed.

They started to make their way toward the door. “I hope we see fluffy critters,” Hana said.

“Yay, camping!” Maxwell cheered, sliding toward the door.

Drake narrowed his eyes, “Who said you were coming?”

Maxwell looked uncertainly between Drake and Riley. “Of course I’m coming . . . we’re all still friends, right? Right?”

Riley took in the tension that seemed to have overwhelmed Drake; his jaw set and there was a tightness around his eyes, which were still fixed on Maxwell. She lightly laid a hand on his arm and gave him a level look. Drake squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his jaw even tighter.

“Maxwell, of course we’re friends!”

Maxwell gave one last worried at Drake, who was still glaring. “Yesss! I was worried I’d lose some more.”

Drake finally looked away and cleared his throat. “Uh huh.”

“Let’s hit the road!” Riley said.

“After we pick up some camping gear. Unless you normally carry a tent with you.”

Maxwell looked excited at the idea. “Hmmm, that’s not a bad idea. With a tent, I could live anywhere. Like inside the limo!”

If Maxwell was trying to win Drake back to his side, that was pretty much the worst way to go about it. Riley saw annoyance flicker in his eyes again. Hana, on the other hand, merely looked confused. “I don’t think you need a tent for that.”

“It completes the experience,” Maxwell explained.

“There’ll be no camping in the limo. Now let’s go. We’re losing daylight,” Drake growled and stormed off toward the limo.

They stopped first at the train to change, pack some clothes and snacks. Drake gave a side eye at Hana’s extra bag, but allowed it when she told him she was bringing the food. Next they stopped at an outdoor supply store to purchase tents, sleeping bags, blankets, flashlights, and a few other basics. After convincing Maxwell that he did not need a machete, despite what he had seen on a survival show, she cornered Drake in the tent section.

“Hey.”

“Hey, Brooks. . . I know what you’re going to say.”

Riley raised her eyebrow, “Do you? Please. Enlighten me.”

“You want me to forgive Maxwell.”

“I would like that, yes, but that has to come from you. I was going to suggest that even if you’re angry with him, he’s still your friend. He cares about you a lot, and implying you aren’t friends anymore . . . it just . . . it hurts him a lot more than you know.”

Drake sighed as he pulled five identical tents from the shelf. “Well, maybe, if he wanted to be friends, he would have told me where my sister was instead of letting me worry for a year. Look, maybe you don’t understand, but before you came along, there were exactly two people in the entire world that I trusted. Liam and Savannah. Savannah was the only family I had and he kept that from me. Lied to me. I’m sorry that I can’t just get over that in a few days.”

“He didn’t do it to hurt you, he did it to protect her. Isn’t that what you would do?”

“I didn’t say I’d never get over it, I just need some time. And space. Neither of which I can really get on this tour.”

“That’s fair. And, hey, this camping trip was a really good idea. Thank you.”

“Heh. Let’s see if you agree with that in the morning. Walker camping trips can be a little intense. Think you can keep up?”

“I think I’ve proven myself so far.”

Drake gave her a long look. “Yes. . . you have. I think we have everything, let’s get out of here.” 

Drake went to stand in line and Riley gathered the others. She found Liam first.

“So,” he said warmly. “How goes it on the getting-Drake-to-forgive-Maxwell front?”

“He says he just needs time and space, which is fair. I just . . . hate tension.”

Liam nodded solemnly. “I’m glad he trusts you and listens to you. With all my new responsibilities, I’m afraid I haven’t done a great job in the best friend department. Drake’s always done a better job of being there to support me than I have for him.”

Riley pondered that for a moment. It was rare to witness a friendship where they each were certain they were receiving more than they gave. It hurt her heart to think that she could come between them.

“You know he doesn’t see it that way, Liam.”

Liam chuckled. “Perhaps not, but it’s the truth.”

Another thought occurred to Riley. “Liam, I want to apologize for standing you up at the Eiffel Tower and your offer for a midnight walk.”

Liam’s shoulders slumped a bit. “I . . . I shouldn’t have asked. I know you said you don’t want to sneak around.”

“I won’t do it. Please let’s just be friends, Liam.”

“I can try.”

They rounded up the rest of the group and checked out with their new equipment and piled back into the limo for the drive. The drive from Paris to the coast was a couple hours and more tense than Riley would have liked. She tried to get Drake to talk about the trail and how he’d found it, but he kept pretty quiet. Maxwell was also somewhat subdued. Instead, Liam told the girls about previous camping trips he and Drake had taken in their teen years and their adventures in the forests of Cordonia. It was actually nice hearing stories about their youth when things were more carefree for both of them. 

By the time they reached the clifftop campsite, the sun was already low on the horizon. It was a stunning view. The red and orange autumn leaves glowed in the sun, giving everything a golden effect.

“It’s . . .”

“Wow,” Hana finished for Riley.

“I can get used to this,” Liam declared with a smile in Riley’s direction.

Riley turned her gaze to Drake, but he was sorting through the supplies the rest of them had dropped and starting to organize them.

“HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Maxwell called out over the valley and echoes were heard in the distance. “Wonderful.”

Drake had moved from organizing the campsite to stacking wood. Riley decided to help, gathering a few pieces of wood and bringing it back to him.

“Drake, you should take in the view. Sunset won’t last much longer.”

He looked up for a brief moment. “Yep, sure is nice.”

“Didn’t you suggest coming here for the view?” she prodded.

He paused and met her gaze. “I’ll get to it later. Right now, I’d rather make sure we have warmth.”

Hana giggled. “I’m okay with that. Maybe Drake’s caveman instincts are kicking in.”

He went back to stacking wood and pulled a fire starter out of his pocket. “Protect and warm the tribe. I’m all over it.”

Liam came up behind Riley, a little closer than she would have preferred. “This is how he gets when he goes camping. Best to let him have his way.” He put a hand on her waist and guided her back to where Hana was unpacking blankets and snacks. Riley pushed his hand away and hurried over to help Hana spread out the blankets.

“Exactly,” Drake said, missing the exchange between Riley and Liam. “This trip was my idea. It’s my responsibility to make sure you all survive out here.”

“Aw, we’d be fine on our own. I’m very resourceful,” Maxwell said, emptying his pack in a pile by his feet.

Drake looked up, “You’d be the first to go.” He stated it as a fact, not as an insult.

“Really?” Maxwell asked, looking to the others for backup. “Even before Hana?”

“Hey!”

The fire was now blazing. “There. It’s ready.”

Everyone settled in and Riley found herself seated between Liam and Drake. Hana laid out a tray with snacks.

“The trip was short notice, so I could only pack so much,” Hana said, although Riley could tell she was quite pleased with herself.

“Are you kidding? Brie, sandwiches, and . . . is that hot chocolate?” Riley asked in amazement. How on earth had Hana whipped up hot chocolate so quickly?

“Like I said, I didn’t have much time, so I just threw some things together . . .”

“Is there anything Hana can’t do,” Riley said happily sipping Hana’s amazing hot chocolate.

“Awww . . . you’re too kind.”

Maxwell stretched out next to Hana and exhaled exaggeratedly. “This is the life. It’s just food, nature and friends.”

“Sure,” Drake mumbled. Riley nudged his arm and shot him a look.

“I’m certainly happy to be with everyone. It’s liberating,” Liam said, gazing out at the ocean. Riley did feel bad for him. Not only did he have the pressure of being king thrust on him rather suddenly, he was trapped in an engagement everyone knew he didn’t want. She felt for his situation, she just didn’t need to be the person that solved it for him. Liam had turned a soft, affectionate gaze at Riley which made her squirm uncomfortably. She noticed Drake finally looking at at the valley as the sun sunk lower beneath the horizon.

“Finally taking in that view?”

He turned his eyes back to her, “Now that the basics are taken care of? Yeah.”

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. I’m glad we came out here to see it.”

Riley resisted the urge to snuggle against him. She wasn’t going to be able to keep this up much longer. They needed to tell Liam about their relationship soon. He deserved that much from them.

“Maxwell!” Hana’s voice shook everyone from their quiet thoughtfulness. “There’s a thing on your shirt!”

“Nobody move! I can feel it.” Maxwell carefully moved his hand and scooped up a small green lizard . . . on a leash. “Hey there, little guy. Did you come to join us?”

Hana leaned over to examine the interloper. “Is that . . . a leash?”

Drake actually looked up with interest, and then bemusement. “I have so many questions right now.”

Riley was grateful to the lizard for bringing some levity to the group. Since everyone seemed to have relaxed a bit, she decided to lean into that mood. “It’s a lizard? Nurture it into a mighty dragon!”

Maxwell turned his eyes to Riley, wide with admiration. “I can’t wrap my mind around how awesome that idea is. How would you like to become an unstoppable dragon, little guy?”

The lizard hissed in response.

“Together, we will rule the world and demand ice cream as tribute.” Maxwell announced.

“Is it poisonous?” Hana asked cautiously.

“It doesn’t look like it,” Liam said.

“It’s a harmless lizard,” Drake confirmed.

Somehow, that did not seem to reassure Hana, who pointedly kept her distance. Maxwell tried to pet it, but it bit him.

“OWWW!”

“Sure. Harmless,” Riley said with a smile.

“Yeah, well, let’s see how you like being bitten,” Maxwell said, glaring at the lizard. He bared his teeth, but the lizard failed to react. “My god, he feels no fear. This must be the bravest lizard throughout the land.”

“Or,” Drake interrupted, “possibly, you’re not very scary.”

“Hey, I’m a terrifying menace.”

“You know . . . you’re not wrong about that.”

“Riley, do you want to pet him?”

Riley pondered for a moment, almost deciding to pressure Hana into petting it seemed she still seemed unsure of the tiny lizard. Instead, she decided to just do it herself.

“Sure! I’ll do it.” Maxwell passed it to her, across Hana and Liam. Hana leaned way back. Riley took the lizard in her hands and gently stroked its back.

“You’re so cute,” she told it.

“I think he likes you,” Maxwell said. Riley set it down back in the bushes and Maxwell leaned down, eye to eye with it. “Go forth and conquer, little guy.” The lizard scurried into the brush.

“Alright, we’re almost out of daylight,” Drake said, cleaning up the snacks. “We should set up our tents.”

“What if we’ve never done that before,” Hana said, looking alarmed.

“I’ll come help anyone who needs it,” he told her. 

They each claimed a space, circling the campfire and spread out the pieces of their tents. Riley had never been camping in her life as her mother had been a die-hard city girl and so had Riley, by extension. Drake and Liam both assembled their tents quickly and Riley observed carefully. It didn’t look too hard. She looked at Maxwell, who seemed to have everything upside down.

“I knew I was an expert at this,” Maxwell said proudly, earning a frown from Drake.

“No, you don’t put that there,” Drake said, rushing over to help Maxwell. Riley wasn’t sure if Drake helping Maxwell was a good sign or not. . .

“Then what’s this supposed to do?”

“That’s your  _ sleeping bag _ .”

“But isn’t a tent just one big sleeping bag?”

Hana and Riley shared a look at the guys arguing over the tents and giggled. Hana went back to examining her pieces.

“Need any help, Lady Hana,” Liam offered.

“I’ve got this. It’s kind of like a puzzle, isn’t it. I think I can figure it out.”

Liam came to Riley next. “How about you, Riley?”

Riley did not necessarily need Liam to come to her rescue, but she also didn’t want to spend all night trying to figure it out when he could just show her.

“Does this thing come with a manual?”

“It does, but it’s sometimes hard to understand.” Riley narrowed her eyes. Really? “Let’s build it together,” he offered.

“Liam . . . I’m pretty sure I can follow directions, I’m not an idiot. But I will take the help, since you already know how.”

Liam blushed. “I’m sorry . . . I didn’t mean to imply you couldn’t. . . Here, let’s put in the stakes.”

Together they built the tent. Once Riley caught on to how the pieces worked together, it didn’t take any time at all.

“Well, you’re much better than an instruction manual,” Riley said when they were done.

“I’m glad to be of service,” Liam said smiling at her.

“I wouldn’t have thought tent construction would be something that they teach you at the palace.”

“Drake’s taken me out camping enough times that I had to learn my way around a tent or else freeze to death.”

Riley laughed. That was probably true. She peeked over to where Drake had taken over assembling Maxwell’s tent while Maxwell used one of the poles as a sword. Riley gathered her sleeping bag and backpack and moved to set up the inside of her tent. When she came back out, the sun’s last rays were gone and Drake had finished Maxwell’s tent. 

“There. It’s done, despite your ‘help’.”

“We make a great team!” Maxwell said with a grin in Drake’s direction. The grin was met with a raised eyebrow.

“I wouldn’t go that far. Alright everyone. Time to settle in. We head back first thing at dawn tomorrow.”

Everyone lit their lanterns and gave out hugs and good nights and headed to their individual tents. Riley snuggled down into her sleeping bag and watched as the lights went out one by one and silence fell over the campsite. Riley sat up and bit her lip. Drake was in a tent ten yards away from her. His light was still on. After a few moments of indecision, she threw the blanket off and quietly opened her tent. She tip toed across the campsite. She paused and listened next to Liam’s tent. It was silent. Good. She opened the tent flap to Drake’s tent and ducked her head inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you think you were getting an almost steamy tent scene? Sorry, that will have to wait for next time!
> 
> A couple of points about this one. I hate how little Hana has appeared in my Book 2 chapters. Part of that is that I always seem to be on a Drake chapter when one of her diamond scenes comes up and part of it is that PB leaves her out of all the action! I moved the library scene here because it makes a lot more sense than where PB placed it (after the opera when they have a flight to Shanghai that Hana leaves early for . . .) and because I wanted to give Riley and Hana some time together.
> 
> I know those of you that love Liam probably get frustrated that I’m so mean to him. I’m trying to be nicer and let Riley develop some solid friendship feelings for him, but then he says the most ridiculous things in this chapter like implying Riley’s in mortal danger talking to the Queen at a tea party or that following directions in a manual is hard to understand. Give me something to work with Liam!
> 
> The last thing I wanted to mention was the moment Drake offers his support, if Riley wants it, without trying to solve her problem for her. OMG!!! There is a moment toward the end of Frozen 2 where Kristoff shows up and says, “I’m here. What do you need?” Kristen Bell has talked about how unusual that moment is in movies of any kind, but especially princess movies. I love it and I was thrilled when this similar moment shows up in this story. I think it’s really a turning point for Drake’s character as well.


End file.
